In a move to enhance road safety, Wiltshire Police have launched Operation Tramline, utilising an unmarked heavy goods vehicle (HGV) to monitor and catch offenders on the M4 motorway.
This operation specifically targets dangerous driving behaviours between junctions 14 and 18, ensuring that motorists are held accountable for their actions behind the wheel.
During recent operations, the unmarked HGV successfully identified several drivers committing serious offences, including using mobile phones, failing to wear seat belts, and maintaining vehicles in unsafe conditions. The elevated position of the HGV provides officers with a unique vantage point, allowing them to spot infractions that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Once a violation is observed, officers in marked police vehicles follow the HGV to safely pull over the offending driver, ensuring that enforcement is both effective and secure. This method not only facilitates the policing of heavy goods vehicles but also ensures the safety of all road users on the busy motorway.
Sgt Bott from Wiltshire’s Roads Policing Team remarked, “The large policing presence which descended on the M4 was a strong deterrent to any would-be offenders.
“While some of the offences may seem insignificant, they are being committed by people controlling vehicles weighing several tonnes when a momentary lapse in concentration could result in a fatal collision.
“Operation Tramline sends a strong message to those individuals – you are not invisible from the height of your HGV cab, and you will face prosecution if you are caught breaking the law.”
The initiative is part of a wider strategy to combat the fatal five driving offences: mobile phone use while driving, drink and drug driving, speeding, not wearing seat belts, and careless driving.
Operation Tramline will continue to be rolled out several times a year, reinforcing the commitment to keeping Wiltshire’s roads safe for everyone.
