88 driving offences recorded over four-day operation

Operation Tramline saw officers from GMP’s Traffic Safer Roads Targeting Team identify 88 driving offences over a four-day period.

The operation has been running since 2015 and is a collaboration between National Highways and police forces across the country.

GMP were provided with an HGV tractor unit, with the higher vantage point meaning officers can look directly into cabs of other lorry drivers, as well as dealing with other offending motorists driving cars or vans.

The week of action took place between Tuesday 11 April and Friday 14 April 2023 across the motorways in Greater Manchester with officers gathering evidence on a video camera of distractions such as using a mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt, and driving without due care and attention.

The officers in the HGV who identified a driver committing an offence would notify their colleagues in an accompanying car and on motorbikes who would then intercept the offending vehicle, pulling it over and deal with the driver.

88 Traffic Offence Reports were issued across the four days, these included:

• 40 for using a mobile phone
• 12 for not wearing a seatbelt
• 10 for crossing the central verge
• 7 for construction and use (roadworthiness offences)
• 4 for insecure load or weight
• 4 for due care and attention
• 2 for prohibited vehicle in offside lane
• 2 for no insurance
• 2 x 165 seizures (uninsured or not driving in accordance with their driving licence)
• 2 for Red Automatic Traffic Signals
• 2 for driver not in proper control of vehicle
• 1 for driver hours

Sergeant Jacques at GMP’s Traffic unit said: “Operation Tramline has become one of the most significant operations that we are involved in, as it is about combating the ‘Fatal Four’ offences that cause serious road traffic collision.

“Those being, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, using a mobile phone and speeding.

“Unfortunately, we are still seeing road users get behind the wheel and commit offences which are completely unacceptable.

“Our presence on the roads of Greater Manchester has helped towards ensuring that these kind of offences are less likely in the future with tickets being handed out not just on Operation Tramline but on a daily basis.

“Our thanks go to National Highways for providing us with the HGV tractor which enables us to carry out enforcement.

“We will be carrying this operation out at multiple points throughout the year, so if you are committing a driving offence, let this be a warning that we will be coming for you.”