EYE IN THE SKY
‘Spy trucks’ that can see inside your car to descend on major motorway in just days in clampdown on dangerous driving
Including the exact dates cops will be on the lookout
DRIVERS on a major motorway have been warned that "spy trucks" with the ability to "see inside cars" will descend on the route within days.
A joint operation between National Highways and cops will see enforcement officers use HGVs to gain a better view of the offences that speed cameras can't catch.
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More than 50,000 Brits use the road every day but it has been dubbed one of the UK's most dangerous.
Research from found that the M6 saw a whopping 7,342 reported incidents between 2007 and 2016.
This placed it behind only the M1, which saw 7,627 incidents in the same time.
However, it tops the list for fatalities with 160 compared to the M1's 154.
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In a bid to crackdown on dangerous driving along the route, Warwickshire Police and National Highways have teams up to run Operation Tramline.
This involves using a fleet of HGV cabs fitted with surveillance equipment to detect often-missed offences.
Officers are able to pick up things like mobile phone use, not wearing a seatbelt and even being distracted from the road.
They do this by using the high vantage point provided by the HGV to peer into your car and record what you're doing.
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Since the project's launch in 2015, over 46,000 offences have been recorded.
The most common was failure to wear a seatbelt at 13,562, followed by phone use at 11,965.
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Other more unusual examples have included a woman putting on makeup on the M40 and a van driver using his knees to steer while his hands were occupied as he enjoyed some fast food.
If one of the trucks catches you, you will be reported to police and issued a fine and potentially points on your licence.
Matt Stanton, Head of National Road User Safety Delivery for National Highways, said: "We know that the shocking examples identified by police in our unmarked cabs are carried out by a small minority and, thankfully, that most of the drivers on our roads are part of the law-abiding majority.
"However, those who continue to take risks such as using their mobile phone at the wheel or other things that mean that their hands are off the wheel are putting themselves and others in danger.
"The Week of Action aims to make all of our roads safer by raising awareness and encouraging motorists to think carefully about their driving."
Inspector Si Paull of Warwickshire Police added: ";Our officers are very enthusiastic about taking part in operations using National Highways owned unmarked HGVs because it allows us to intercept drivers like these who do not take driving seriously and could so easily be involved in a serious or fatal collision.
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"Our aim is to save lives and unfortunately we are seeing too many drivers showing total disregard for their own safety and that of other road users whilst driving at motorway speeds."
The "spy trucks" will be out and about patrolling the length of the M6 between June 3 and June 9.
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