A woman doing her makeup in lane 4 of the M25 and a man using his dashboard as a filing system while driving were among almost 300 drivers stopped over nine days in Surrey and Sussex.
The Road Policing Unit used an unmarked HGV to identify drivers acting irresponsibly while using the counties’ main roads during September and October.
In total, 285 drivers were stopped in relation to 305 offences, on roads including the M25, A23 and A3.
The police operation, named Operation Tramline will be carried out again in the future.
Sergeant Kellie-Anne Harris, of the newly formed Commercial Vehicle Unit, said:
“The higher vantage point the HGV cab gives us is incredibly useful when it comes to looking down at what drivers are up to in their vehicles which might otherwise be obscured at ground level. It also allows us to see directly into other HGV or large vehicle cabs which would just not be possible with other vehicles in our fleet.
“Along with 65 uses of a mobile phone, 43 seatbelt offences and 25 speed offences, we saw some truly staggering things like someone using their elbows to steer, a man watching music videos and a woman doing her make up in lane 4 of the M25.
“As seen in the photos below, one gentleman was using his dashboard as his filing system and another driver was transporting DIY equipment unsafely along the M25. The drivers were given words of advice and rectified their mistakes before being allowed to continue their journeys.”
86 offences of not being in proper control of a vehicle were also reported; the majority of which involved drivers interacting with the satnav or maps function on a mobile telephone.
Chief Inspector Michael Hodder, head of the joint Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit, said:
“Drivers shouldn’t become complacent or take risks purely because they can’t see a marked police car on our roads or they think we can’t see what’s happening inside their vehicle. Using unmarked vehicles including the Highways England HGV cab allows us to catch those putting not only their own lives at risk, but also those around them.”
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