National HGV road safety project ‘Operation Tramline’
Since 2015, National Highways has been collaborating with the Police at a national level to target dangerously driven commercial vehicles, other high sided vehicles and private cars to improve compliance and to reduce the number of incidents caused by unsafe driver behaviour.
Three plain white HGV tractor units, equipped with multiple cameras and piloted by highly trained police drivers, patrol the strategic road network, capturing distracted HGV drivers and private motorists using mobile phones, laptops, reading/cooking or other unsafe activities.
The elevated position of the HGV cabs allows police forces to drive alongside vehicles to film any unsafe driver behaviour taking place. Since the initiative began Operation Tramline has stopped over 32,000 vehicles resulting in more than 35,000 offences.
To find out which police forces are operating Operation Tramline cabs, and when, visit the National Highways ‘Tackling dangerous driving’ page.
Top three offences detected through Operation Tramline are:
Mobile phone use
Seat belt offences
Driver not in proper control
Stand out examples of poor driving behaviour
HGV driver caught steering with his knees whilst eating lunch from his lap and using a phone.
Driver, with both hands off the wheel, watching video of how to rescue someone from a kayak.
3.5 tonne flatbed truck weighing 5.3 tonnes and travelling at 85mph on the motorway.
HGV driver eating pickled gherkins from a jar using a fork with elbows on the steering wheel.
HGV driver reading a book while driving.
3 lorry drivers from same company caught using their phones during the same week.
