Police to crack down on unsafe driving on the M1
Officers want to reduce the number of incidents on the motorway.
Last updated 28th Nov 2023
Police forces are going to be patrolling the M1 between London and Leeds next week (6th-12th March), in a crack down on unsafe driving.
Officers will be sat in a fleet of unmarked HGV's, looking out for drivers using their phones or not wearing their seatbelt.
It's all part of 'Operation Tramline' which was launched in 2015.
Since the initiative began, more than 33,254 offences have been recorded and 30,380 vehicles have been stopped by police.
The most common offences are not wearing a seatbelt (9,962) and using a mobile phone (8,368) followed by 2,257 who were not in proper control of their vehicle.
Consequences for drivers range from warnings to fixed penalty notices, court summons or arrest.
Jeremy Phillips is head of road safety at National Highways and says:
"Hundreds of thousands of drivers use our roads every day and the vast majority are sensible behind the wheel but some are putting themselves and others at risk.
Through this week of action we want to encourage motorists to think about their driving and to adopt safer behaviours.
“But those who continue to pose a risk should be aware that we are working with our police partners to make sure they are spotted and prevented from causing serious harm to themselves or others.”
In 2022 there were 73,593 incidents on the M1 – that is over 200 incidents every single day.
Police forces taking part in this operation are:
- West Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- Nottinghamshire
- Derbyshire
- Northamptonshire
- Hertfordshire
- Thames Valley
- Bedfordshire
- Leicestershire Road Safety Partnership
Commander Kyle Gordon is National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Roads Policing Operations. He says:
"We are pleased to be working with our key partner National Highways once again as we work to reduce the danger caused on one of our busiest roads, and beyond, by drivers who allow themselves to be distracted while driving.
"Too many people are killed or seriously injured on our roads every year. My officers have to visit the families of those killed on our roads, 5 times a day, every day of the week and every month of the year.
"I am very happy to support all initiatives that can help reduce these numbers."