Hundreds of drivers stopped in police crackdown on major roads in Surrey

More than 300 offences were dealt with by police in Surrey and Sussex during a recent crackdown on our road network.

Over nine days of action during September and October officers used an unmarked HGV to spot dangerous or distracted motorists

Across both counties a total of 305 offences were dealt with, committed by 285 drivers on routes including the A3, M3, A23, M25 and A27.

Offences included not being in proper control of a vehicle, driving on the hard shoulder, due care and seatbelt offences, amongst many others.

Penalties and interventions included 104 words of advice, 155 Traffic Offence Reports and 23 Fixed Penalty Notices.

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."

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, added: “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.”