National Highways marks 10 years of Operation Tramline

National Highways, which operates and maintains the English motorway network, has marked the 10th anniversary of its Operation Tramline initiative by highlighting some of the most shocking examples of unsafe driving its teams have witnessed over the last decade.

Operation Tramline employs a fleet of unmarked HGV cabs to gather camera evidence of unsafe driving. Since the first cab went out on patrol with police in 2015, more than 51,500 offences have been recorded by officers from 35 police forces patrolling the country as part of the scheme.

There are now three unmarked HGV cabs available to police partners, whose elevated position enables them to see into vans or cars, or across into other lorries, to identify unsafe driving practices.

Some of the offences witnessed include people eating at the wheel, including a driver tucking into a bowl of cereal in North Yorkshire, and someone enjoying a lasagne with a knife and fork whilst driving.

Another driver was witnessed playing with a Rubik’s cube while manoeuvring through M25 traffic, a woman on a Midlands motorway applying makeup while at the wheel, and drivers using two mobile phones at a time. In Surrey, one driver defended his mobile phone use while driving on the basis that he needed to call his girlfriend because ‘their song’ was playing on the radio.

Problematic driving by HGV drivers witnessed by Operation Tramline has included a man steering a vehicle transporter with just his elbows along the M40 in Warwickshire, and three HGV drivers from the same company using their phones while driving during a week of activity.

National Highways identifies the most common offences recorded over the ten-year period of the operation as not wearing a seatbelt (14,861 incidents) and using a mobile phone (13,553 incidents). Together these comprise more than half (54 per cent) of the total number of offences recorded by police between 2015 and last year.

The authority highlights Department for Transport statistics for 2018 to 2022 indicating that 24 per cent of car occupant fatalities were not wearing a seatbelt, and says motorists are four times more likely to be involved in a crash if using a phone while driving.

“We know that driver distraction, such as using a mobile phone, and not wearing a seatbelt are key factors in collisions which result in people being seriously injured or killed on our roads,” commented Sheena Hague, road safety director at National Highways.

“Our goal through Operation Tramline has always been to remind motorists to think carefully about their driving behaviours behind the wheel. The choices people make can have such a devastating and far reaching impact on people’s lives.

“It is disappointing that there are still a minority of people who continue to put themselves and others at risk and we will continue working with the police through Operation Tramline and other campaigns to deter unsafe driving.”

The road minister Lilian Greenwood added: “Dangerous driving puts everyone on our roads in danger, and Operation Tramline plays a vital role in tackling this issue.

“While our roads are among the safest in the world, we are committed to improving road safety, and our recent Click! Think! Campaign, which specifically targets young men, reminds drivers and passengers to wear their seatbelts at all times.”

Sergeant Dan Pascoe was among the first police officers ever to participate in Operation Tramline in 2015, and he now leads the operation for the Surrey and Sussex police forces.

“The truck gives us an invaluable observation point,” he said.

“Vehicles have been getting progressively higher over the years, but this cab is a golden ticket enabling us to see over into pretty much every vehicle.”

While mobile phone misuse was the original focus of the campaign, police are now on the lookout for any offences. Sgt Pascoe believes that the campaign has helped to reduce the number of drivers using mobile phones.

“We have definitely seen a significant tail-off,” he said.

“We may never have a zero month unfortunately, but the message is certainly getting through.

“Drivers of cars, vans and pick-ups are where the numbers are highest. It’s not as high as it used to be but we haven’t got to the point yet where it is seen as socially unacceptable.”

He added: “I believe we are making a difference with Operation Tramline. How do you measure how many collisions you have prevented? We can’t.

“But you are four more times more likely to die in a crash if you are on your phone, so for every 100 distracted drivers we have stopped we could have prevented 25 collisions.”

Chief constable Jo Shiner, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, said: “Driving while distracted is incredibly dangerous and selfish, putting many lives at risk and as the statistics show, it can all too often end in tragedy.

“Proactive work to tackle this and the other fatal four driving behaviours is vitally important in improving the safety of our roads, as well as educating road users to think twice about their actions.

“The results from Operation Tramline speak for themselves in showing just how valuable it is and how the perspective from the truck cab enhances officers’ view of the road.

“It also shows great partnership working which is absolutely key to making our roads safer for everyone.”