Sixty-two drivers were caught using their mobile phones whilst driving on the M1 in the Midlands. The offences were identified during a week-long police operation that included Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Derbyshire.
A car driver in Nottinghamshire was stopped for using a mobile phone only for officers to then discover the motorist did not have a licence or any insurance. A total of 309 offences were recorded in the Midlands, including 108 people not wearing their seatbelt and 27 driving without due care.
The operation, named Operation Tramline, spanned a total of eight police forces across the length of the M1. In total, 663 vehicles were stopped and 691 offences uncovered.
Are you planning an event for King Charles III’s Coronation? Let us know here
Penalties ranged from words of advice and traffic offence reports to 14 court summons and five arrests. Police officers patrolled the M1 in National Highways’ unmarked HGV cabs, meaning they could spot unsafe driving behaviour from an elevated position.
National Highways Head of Road Safety, Jeremy Phillips, said: “Hundreds of thousands of motorists travel over 21 million miles on the M1 every day – accounting for one in seven of all motorway journeys – and the vast majority are safe and legal drivers. But there is a minority that continue to put themselves and others at risk. It is disappointing that almost 700 offences were spotted in just one week – but thanks to Operation Freeway those drivers were prevented from continuing with their unsafe behaviours.”
READ NEXT:
Confusion as DWP £400 energy bills support for households comes to an end
Jeremy Clarkson suffers sleepless nights after difficult 'goodbye' on Diddly Squat Farm
April 2023 car tax changes to be aware of as new tax year begins
Steve Cooper receives Evangelos Marinakis feedback as Brennan Johnson reacts to Wolves moment
