Look no hands! Driver caught rolling a cigarette while driving HGV during M6 patrols
Unsafe drivers using phones and not wearing seatbelts have been stopped during week of unmarked HGV patrols in the West Midlands.
The patrols were part of action taken by police and National Highways and saw more than 400 vehicles stopped and 387 offences recorded along the M6.
Of these offences, 98 drivers were caught using their mobile phone illegally at the wheel, while 100 people were seen not wearing a seatbelt.
In total, 412 were vehicles stopped by police using the unmarked cabs, supplied by National Highways, including 180 HGVs and 122 private vehicles.
Action taken ranged from words of advice or fixed penalty notices to traffic offences being reported and even six arrests.
National Highways recently released footage of one driver caught with his phone in one hand and a drink in the other as he drove along the A500 in Stoke-on-Trent.
In the Midlands, there were 123 offences recorded by Warwickshire Police including 63 people not wearing a seatbelt and 19 using a mobile phone.
Among the vehicles stopped in Warwickshire were two vans with disqualified drivers and a vehicle stolen in a car-jacking that was being driven on false plates – the driver was arrested.
Sergeant Shaun Bridle, of Warwickshire Police, said: "These results will drive our hardworking and dedicated officers to continue to conduct as many commercial vehicle enforcement operations as possible in Warwickshire to protect innocent road users.
"It seems that not only are some drivers willing to risk their own lives and the lives of others by driving vehicles in a poor and dangerous condition, they are also travelling at speeds of up to 70mph on the M6 whilst being distracted by a mobile phone or not wearing a seatbelt.
"In these circumstances a collision would almost certainly be fatal to the driver and the consequences for other innocent road users do not bear thinking about.
"The excuses given to our officers for not wearing a seatbelt include ‘sorry I forgot‘ and overall those not wearing a seatbelt seem to be simply lazy or display a lack of concern."
In another clip released by National Highways, a lorry driver has both of his hands in a tobacco pouch and then rolls a cigarette as he drives along the M40 in Warwickshire before looking over to see the camera rolling in the HGV next to him.
Operation Vertebrae took place along the length of the M6, the longest motorway in the country which sees around 180 reported incidents every day.
Jeremy Phillips, National Highways head of road safety, said: "Our goal, through exercises such as Operation Vertebrae, is to make our roads safer whether that is by encouraging motorists to consider their driving behaviour or ensuring those that put people at risk are fully aware that they can be spotted and will be dealt with by our enforcement partners.
"It is always disappointing when we learn of drivers putting themselves and others at risk through unsafe driving such as using a mobile phone at the wheel. But through this week of action police were able to identify almost 400 offences and halt drivers who could have caused collisions and harm if they hadn’t been pulled over."