British Traffic Police and Highways England have joined forces to launch a fleet of specially equipped ‘spy trucks’ to catch-out the UK’s most dangerous drivers.
The trucks were trialled in 2015 following funding by Highways England, and the scheme proved to be ultra-effective catching more than 4,000 drivers breaking the law.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of drivers were stopped for illegally using a mobile phone while driving. The UK’s worst drivers were also filmed watching movies, brushing their teeth and even boiling a kettle!
The trucks have wide-angled cameras to assist with evidence capture, whilst their high eye-line allows them also to see into vehicles from a height. The key element to their effectiveness is the fact that they are all followed by a more conventional police car which is used to pull drivers over.
"Highways England has been funding a single cab for the past couple of years and we’ve been impressed with the impact it’s had on improving safety," said Richard Dawson from Highways England's road safety team.
“Over 4,000 dangerous drivers have been pulled over, with police action ranging from verbal warnings to prosecutions.
“We’ve found that the vast majority of drivers are sensible behind the wheel but a few have got into bad habits, or are simply ignoring the law and putting themselves and others at risk.
“We’ve therefore decided to fund two extra unmarked HGV cabs to continue to target dangerous driving on England’s motorways and major A roads, improving safety for everyone.”
Following the two-year trial the trucks are being introduced to the UK’s motorways and A-roads to further assist in the battle against the country’s worst drivers.