Drivers on M1 in Yorkshire urged to watch out for these HGVs

A week of action to improve safety on England's most used motorway, the M1, starts today as undercover police target dangerous drivers from unmarked HGVs.
Drivers on M1 in Yorkshire urged to watch out for these HGVs.Drivers on M1 in Yorkshire urged to watch out for these HGVs.
Drivers on M1 in Yorkshire urged to watch out for these HGVs.

Officers from West Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Police will take part in a week of action, starting today.

More than 200 dangerous drivers in Yorkshire have already been caught by police using the unmarked HGVs on the county’s busiest roads in the past 12 months with officers expecting the figure to rise.

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Three HGV supercabs will be used to target drivers on their phones or speeding.

Highways England’s traffic officers will also be joining forces with the emergency services from today to provide free tyre checks and safety tips to drivers at motorway services by the M1.

Richard Leonard, Head of Road Safety at Highways England, said: “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.

“We introduced the three new HGV supercabs last year to help keep the roads safe and tackle dangerous driving by people who have either got into bad habits or are simply ignoring the law.

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“The cabs have helped to identify over 3,000 unsafe drivers over the past year, and we hope they will encourage everyone to think about what more they could do to improve how they drive.”

The unmarked supercabs allow police to film evidence of unsafe driving, by pulling up alongside vehicles.

The drivers are then pulled over by police cars following a short distance behind.

The supercabs have a derestricted speed limiter which means they can travel at speeds up to the national speed limit. Flashing lights have also been installed in them for use by police in an emergency.

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Footage previously captured by the cabs has included a lorry driver using his mobile phone to make a credit card payment as he travelled along the M40 near Leamington Spa. The trucker was seen holding his credit card in one hand and his phone in the other.

A van driver was also spotted with no hands on the wheel as he used one hand to change gear and the other to hold his mobile phone on the A38 near Derby.