HGV Camera Cabs Return to UK Roads as National Highways Steps Up June Enforcement Campaign

Police forces across England and Wales are deploying specialist HGV camera cabs this month as part of Operation Tramline, a National Highways initiative aimed at tackling dangerous driving behaviour and improving road safety.

The latest enforcement campaign began on 15 June and will continue throughout the month, with police using elevated HGV cabs to identify offences that are often difficult to detect from conventional patrol vehicles.

According to National Highways, enforcement activity is taking place in Cleveland, Gwent and Essex from 15 June, before moving to West Yorkshire, Leicestershire and South Wales from 22 June. Further operations are planned for South Yorkshire, Kent and during Road Transport Expo week from 29 June.

The unmarked HGVs, loaned by National Highways to police forces, provide officers with a unique vantage point, allowing them to look directly into cars, vans and lorries travelling alongside them. This elevated position makes it easier to spot motorists using mobile phones, failing to wear seatbelts or driving without proper control of their vehicle.

While professional drivers are often associated with Operation Tramline, National Highways stresses that enforcement activity targets all road users. Data from the campaign shows that offences are committed across all vehicle types, with cars, vans and HGVs regularly identified during operations.

Since its launch in 2015, Operation Tramline has led to more than 54,000 vehicles being stopped and over 59,000 offences being recorded. Around 40% of stopped vehicles were HGVs, while vans accounted for 22% and cars 34%.

Mobile phone use and seatbelt violations remain the most common offences detected. National Highways figures show that more than half of all offences recorded under the scheme relate to these two behaviours, with 16,505 seatbelt offences and 15,842 mobile phone offences identified to date.

Road safety officials continue to highlight the risks associated with both offences. Drivers using a mobile phone are significantly more likely to be involved in a collision, while people travelling without a seatbelt face a substantially greater risk of serious injury or death in the event of a crash.

Depending on the severity of the offence, drivers identified during Operation Tramline may receive roadside education, warning notices, fixed penalty tickets, court summonses or, in the most serious cases, arrest.

For transport operators and fleet managers, the latest enforcement campaign serves as a timely reminder to reinforce safety standards with drivers ahead of the busy summer period. With officers able to observe behaviour from a height that most drivers rarely encounter, National Highways is urging all road users to ensure their driving habits would withstand close scrutiny.

The message remains clear: wear a seatbelt, avoid using handheld mobile devices, stay fully in control of the vehicle and maintain safe driving standards at all times.