Over the next two weeks, road policing officers in West Yorkshire will conduct patrols on the motorways from the elevated vantage point of an HGV unit. Their primary goal is to discourage and identify road traffic violations.
West Yorkshire Police is among several law enforcement agencies participating in Operation Pennine, running from the 2nd to the 8th of October. This operation is coordinated by National Highways and covers the M62 stretch from Merseyside to Humberside.
The Roads Policing Unit will utilise an HGV unit provided by National Highways for enforcement activities on the M62. This will be complemented by increased patrols using dedicated road policing vehicles.
Subsequently, from the 9th to the 13th of October, West Yorkshire Police will extend the use of the HGV unit in patrols across the entire West Yorkshire motorway network. This forms part of the routine Operation Tramline initiative in which the Force is actively engaged.
Sergeant Ryan Burt, of West Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit, said: “By having an officer observing and filming from inside an HGV cab, we can see what lorry drivers are doing, as well as other drivers.
“We are involved in regular Operation Tramline activity throughout the year and repeatedly see drivers using their mobile phones or in other ways not being in proper control of their vehicle.
“A driver not having their full attention on the road can have devastating repercussions, and when a heavy goods vehicle is involved this can be even more catastrophic.”
West Yorkshire Police is working with partners as part of Vision Zero with the aim of eliminating all traffic fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. It uses the Safe System approach which has five pillars of action: safe road users/behaviours, safe speeds, safe roads, safe vehicles and post-collision response.
“Three of the pillars of the Safe Systems approach are something that road users have some element of responsibility for – safe road users/behaviours, safe speeds and safe vehicles.
“We need everyone to think about their own behaviour, make sure they drive at an appropriate speed and make sure their vehicle is in good working order. If drivers are not maintaining their vehicles or driving in an unsafe way then we will take action to keep both the driver and other road users safe,” Sgt Burt added.
