Latest news with #Tramline
BBC News
09-04-2025
- BBC News
Unmarked HGV cab 'golden ticket' for Surrey road police
An unmarked truck cab has become a "golden ticket" for catching offending motorists, Surrey Police has Tramline has been helping forces across England to catch drivers on their phones for the past 10 years, giving officers a top-down view into driving Dan Pascoe, who joined the operation in March 2015 and is now in charge for Surrey and Sussex Police, said the number of offenders was tailing off as the message was "getting through".He said: "The truck gives us an invaluable observation point." The Operation Tramline cabin has been used for more than 13,000 hours by forces nationally since 2015, National Highways most common offences recorded over the last decade have been not wearing a seatbelt (14,861) and using a mobile phone (13,553). One Surrey driver defended their use of a mobile phone by saying they had a new girlfriend and their song came on the radio, so they needed to call last month, police spotted three drivers in Surrey without their hands on the wheel while using their phones, National Highways said. 'Dangerous and selfish' Sgt Pascoe 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."Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner, National Police Chiefs' Council lead for road 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."She said the Operation Tramline results "speak for themselves in showing just how valuable it is and how the perspective from the truck cab enhances officers' view of the road".
BBC News
06-02-2025
- BBC News
Hundreds of driving offences in Suffolk caught by police lorry
A police operation that made use of a lorry to target offending drivers detected 169 offences over a five-day Police was provided with a HGV by National Highways between 27 and 31 Tramline allowed officers to patrol roads including the A14, A12 and A11 using the elevated position to detect drivers of all types of vehicles that were committing Terry Henry, of the commercial vehicle unit, said the operation was a "productive week of action". A total of 155 vehicles were stopped including 55 HGVs and 44 smaller goods person was arrested on suspicion of drug-driving while others were issued with Traffic Offence Reports for offences like not wearing a seatbelt, using a mobile phone, not being in proper control and insecure loads."Among the 36 people caught using a mobile phone, one of them thought it would be funny to film us whilst he was driving at 70mph - until he realised who we were," PC Henry said. "We didn't need to be expert lip readers to decipher the words that came out of his mouth when he did realise. "He will now receive a £200 fine and six points for his reckless actions."The officer added that the offences seen during the operation "could be a matter of life and death". 'No excuse' Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Passmore, said the force's results were "impressive"."Although I'm absolutely staggered by the mindless stupidity of so many drivers risking their own lives, and the lives of others with their unacceptable behaviour behind the wheel," he added."I find it very disappointing that drivers still need to be reminded about something as obvious as putting on a seat belt or not using a mobile phone – there really is no excuse for that at all."National Highways road safety programme manager, Lawrence Seager, said while it was the minority of drivers that put themselves and others at risk, the agency needed "everyone to consider their driving behaviours so we can all get home safely". Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
