ESSEX Police's Commercial Vehicle Unit (CVU) arrested five drivers on suspicion of drug driving during a five-day road safety operation on the county's strategic road network last month

Operation Tramline is a long-running partnership between police forces and National Highways. Officers use unmarked HGVs to observe driver behaviour and stop those putting others at risk. 

From 23 to 27 February, CVU officers carried out targeted patrols using a Highways England HGV 'supercab', loaned by National Highways, as part of Operation Tramline which runs throughout the year.

The elevated height of the supercab gives officers a clear view into vehicles, enabling them to spot drivers who are behaving selfishly or dangerously, including those using mobile phones, driving while distracted, or failing to wear a seatbelt.

Over the five days, officers stopped 166 vehicles, made up of:

• 56 cars

• 32 light goods vehicles

• 77 commercial vehicles

As a result:

• 5 drivers were arrested on suspicion of drug driving

• 7 vehicles were seized for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence

• 19 drivers were reported for mobile phone offences

• 44 people were found not wearing seatbelts

• 48 further offences were identified, including careless driving, registration plate (VRM) offences and no MOT

An officer in a HGV cab with camera ready to get evidence against offenders

A force statement says: "one of these offences represents a clear danger to innocent people using our roads. Drug driving, distraction, and failing to wear a seatbelt are not minor mistakes - they are choices that can cost lives.

"Patrols focused on the county's key strategic routes – the major roads that run across and into Essex and carry thousands of vehicles every day, so it's important that routes are safe and kept moving.

"Many of the offences detected fall under the Fatal Five - mobile phone use, not wearing a seatbelt, speeding, careless driving and drink/drug driving - the behaviours most commonly linked to collisions where people are killed or seriously injured.

"Operation Tramline allows our officers to detect irresponsible behaviour that would otherwise go unnoticed, and the results from this five-day operation show exactly why this work is so important. We will continue to use every tool available to us to keep people safe on Essex's roads and to hold dangerous drivers to account."