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 24,000 vehicles resulting in more than 26,000 offences.

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.

Where are the Tramline cabs in 2023?

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
02/01/2023 Northants
09/01/2023
16/01/2023 North Yorkshire Nottinghamshire Avon and Somerset
23/01/2023 Northumbria West Mercia Kent
30/01/2023 Humberside Warwickshire BCH

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
06/02/2023 West Yorkshire Derbyshire
13/02/2023 Merseyside CMPG* South Wales
20/02/2023 Cheshire Lincolnshire Surrey and Sussex
27/02/2023 Cleveland Warwickshire Suffolk

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
06/03/2023
13/03/2023 North Yorkshire West Mercia Essex
20/03/2023 West Yorkshire CMPG* Wiltshire
27/03/2023 Durham Leicestershire Devon and Cornwall

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
03/04/2023 Merseyside Avon and Somerset
10/04/2023 GMP Staffordshire South Wales
17/04/2023 Cheshire Wiltshire
24/04/2023 Cumbria Derbyshire TVP

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
01/05/2023 Northumbria Leicestershire Surrey and Sussex
08/05/2023 North Yorkshire West Mercia Essex
15/05/2023 Humberside Gwent BCH
22/05/2023 Durham Warwickshire Wiltshire
29/05/2023 Cleveland Northants Devon and Cornwall

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
05/06/2023 Merseyside CMPG* South Wales
12/06/2023 South Yorkshire Lincolnshire Suffolk
19/06/2023 West Yorkshire West Mercia Norfolk
26/06/2023 Durham Derbyshire BCH

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
03/07/2023 Northumbria Surrey and Sussex
10/07/2023 GMP Nottinghamshire Essex
17/07/2023 Cheshire Staffordshire Suffolk
24/07/2023 GMP CMPG* Norfolk
31/07/2023 Northumbria

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
07/08/2023 GMP Northants TVP
14/08/2023 South Yorkshire Lincolnshire Wiltshire
21/08/2023 Humberside Warwickshire
28/08/2023 Cheshire CVU Staffordshire BCH

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
04/09/2023 GMP CMPG* Surrey and Sussex
11/09/2023 Cheshire Derbyshire South Wales
18/09/2023 North Yorkshire West Mercia Wiltshire
25/09/2023 South Yorkshire Nottinghamshire Essex

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
02/10/2023 Merseyside Lincolnshire BCH
09/10/2023 West Yorkshire Derbyshire Devon and Cornwall
16/10/2023 Humberside Leicestershire Wiltshire
23/10/2023 Cleveland Staffordshire
30/10/2023 Durham Northants Kent

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
06/11/2023 South Yorkshire Warwickshire
13/11/2023 West Yorkshire Nottinghamshire Surrey and Sussex
20/11/2023 Durham Northants South Wales
27/11/2023 North Yorkshire Lincolnshire Avon and Somerset

Week commencing NORTH MIDLANDS SOUTH
04/12/2023 Humberside Leicestershire Suffolk
11/12/2023 Merseyside Warwickshire Essex
18/12/2023 Northumbria
25/12/2023

*CMPG = Central Motorway Patrol Group