Operation Tramline: Driver caught using elbow to steer car transporter while driving on motorway | UK News
This is the moment a driver behind the wheel of a cargo car is seen using his elbows to steer while driving on the highway.
The video shows the driver removing both hands from the steering wheel, instead using his elbows to hold it in place.
It was filmed on the M40 near Gaydon in Warwickshire by police, who said the driver “wasn’t aware” that he was being recorded as they drove to his side in an unmarked HGV taxi.
As soon as the police noticed, he quickly put his hands on the steering wheel, but was then run over by a police car behind.
Video released by route – the government-owned company responsible for Britain’s motorways and main roads – has been running a campaign with police to crack down on distracted motorists.
Dubbed Operation Tramline, the campaign, which began in 2015, has recorded more than 33,000 violations.
Footage of the truck driver was one of three incidents published by National Highways showing poor driving in late January and early February this year.
In one incident, a man was filmed texting on a mobile phone and not wearing a seat belt while driving a horse-drawn carriage on the A46 Coventry East Bypass.
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In another example, a woman was caught on a video call while driving along the M40 near Junction 16 to Lapworth, Warwickshire.
Operation Tramline involved police officers being deployed in HGV taxis so that they could film the drivers from an elevated position.
The most common errors recorded were not wearing seat belts (9,962) and unauthorized use of mobile phones (8,368).
There were also 2,257 cases of drivers failing to control their vehicles.
Consequences for drivers range from warnings to fixed penalty notices, court summons or arrest.
National Highways head of road safety Jeremy Phillips said: “We are committed to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on the road by 50% by 2025, and we have a long-term ambition to be do no harm.
“To get there, we need to tackle the unsafe driving behavior we sadly still experience.
“Those who continue to pose a risk should know that we are working with our police partners to ensure that they are detected and prevented from causing serious harm to themselves or others.”
As part of the new week of action, officers from eight forces will patrol the M1 between London and Leeds in unmarked HGV cabs next week.
“We are delighted to be working with our key partner National Highways once again as we work to to reduce the danger posed on one of our busiest roads and beyond, by motorists who allow themselves to be distracted while driving.”
Department for Transport figures show 67 people have been killed and another 686 seriously injured in road crashes in the UK in 2021 when distraction in the car was a contributing factor.
