Norfolk police catch over 60 drivers not wearing seatbelts during week of action
They also caught 22 people using their mobile phones
Police in Norfolk tell us they stopped nearly 150 vehicles and detected more than 180 offences when targeting drivers of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) as part of a week-long crack down on dangerous driving.
Operation Tramline saw police provided with an HGV tractor unit by National Highways which allowed officers to carry out patrols across the county’s roads, with a focus on offences committed by lorry drivers.
The HGV tractor unit - which was driven by a police officer - provides an ideal vantage point meaning officers can look directly into the cabs of other lorry drivers, whilst also dealing with any offending motorists driving vans or cars.
During the week of action (18th March - 22nd March) they were looking for drivers failing to wear their seatbelt and behaviour which distracted their attention such as using mobile phones or watching videos.
A total of 147 vehicles were stopped, including 44 HGVs, 12 LGVs, two public service vehicles and 86 private vehicles.
Three agricultural vehicles were stopped for using a mobile phone.
181 offences were detected and the drivers in question were issued with Traffic Offence Reports (TORs), some having committed more than one offence.
These offences include:
62 x no seatbelt
22 x use of mobile phone
20 x construction and use
8 x insecure load
7 x driving without due care
6 x speeding
5 x no insurance
2 x drivers hours
1 x not in proper control
1 x crime
47 x other (this could include window tint, registration plates and overweight loads)
“People die as a result of not wearing a seatbelt"
Sgt Ade Hales, of the joint Roads and Armed Policing Team, said: “The sheer volume of drivers choosing not to wear a seatbelt whilst they are driving is incredibly worrying. It takes seconds and could save your life.
“People die as a result of not wearing a seatbelt, it is as simple as that.
“Working with National Highways on operations such as these allow for us to reduce the risk to the road users of Norfolk by removing the threat distracted drivers pose.
"We will continue to work to raise awareness and educate the public about the risks surrounding distracted driving.”
Lawrence Seager, Safety Programme Manager for National Highways in the East of England, said: “Our goal, through operations like these, is to make our roads safer by encouraging road users to consider their driving behaviour.
"It is always disappointing when we witness drivers putting themselves and others at risk by their actions. Operation Tramline is an excellent example of collaborative working within the region that seeks to reduce collisions on Norfolk’s roads.”