Police in Cumbria ran a five-day road safety operation last week using a specially-equipped lorry, resulting in 31 offences recorded.

Op Tramline caught over a dozen drivers using their mobile phones at the wheel, drivers over the limit for drink or drugs, speeding rivers, and one disqualified driver.

 The operation cam during the month-long national ‘fatal four’ campaign, targeting the four things most commonly a factor in serious and deadly crashes: speeding; using a phone; not wearing a seatbelt; and being drunk or on drugs.

Cops used the lorry to pull up alongside other vehicles and gather video footage of offences being committed.

In total, the officers recorded 31 offences:

  • 14 mobile phone offences
  • Two speeding offences
  • Two over the limit for drink or drugs
  • Three for no insurance
  • One for driving without due care
  • One disqualified driver
  • Two for no MOT
  • Two for no tax
  • Three for other Traffic Offence Reports (TORs)
  • One following a road traffic collision

Sergeant Jack Stabler of Cumbria Constabulary said: “The majority of the offences identified were people making a conscious decision to put their own well-being and the well-being of other road users at risk – from choosing to reach for their phone whilst driving to making the decision to get behind the wheel whilst disqualified.”