Driver caught sipping mug of tea and removing both hands from wheel by police

He was filmed on the M6 in Cheshire last summer as part of Operation Tramline, a multi-agency initiative to make motorways safer using unmarked cabs operated by police.

He was seen sipping from a mug of tea and removing his hands from the wheel, before a police officer told him to concentrate on driving.

He was issued a traffic offence report for not being in proper control of his vehicle, which resulted in three points being added to his driving licence and a £100 fine.

Police in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Liverpool Ports, West Yorkshire and Hull will once again be using National Highways’ unmarked HGV cabs in a bid to prevent accidents.

The month of action on the M62 – dubbed Operation Pennine – launches today and will continue throughout October.

In 2022 there were 28,607 incidents on the M62, 1,651 of which were traffic collisions.

Merseyside Police found 30 people not wearing a seatbelt, 59 using mobile phones and eight not in proper control of their vehicle. A further 140 people were speeding.

Among them was a lorry driver not wearing his seatbelt who was later fined £100.

Another driver was spotted with his mobile phone in his left hand while steering with his right hand.

Lisa Scott, National Highways’ regional safety programme manager for the North West, said: “Hundreds of thousands of drivers use our roads every day and the vast majority are sensible behind the wheel. However, some drivers are putting themselves and others at risk through using mobile phones, driving without a seatbelt or even handling a boiling hot drink at the wheel.

“We are committed to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured while travelling on our roads by 50 per cent by 2025 and we have a long-term ambition for zero harm. To achieve that we need to tackle the unsafe driving behaviour that we sadly still encounter.

“Through this month of action we want to encourage motorists to think about their driving and to adopt safer behaviours.”

In addition to the HGV cab patrols, traffic officers, road safety partnerships and TyreSafe will be at motorway services offering advice to drivers and carrying out tyre and vehicle checks.

Sgt Matt Picton, from the North West Commercial Vehicle unit, said: “Once again, this operation shows the blatant disregard of some drivers who choose to ignore the rules of the road and we will not tolerate those who do.  

“Using a mobile phone, no seat belt, speeding, poor mechanical condition, breach of drivers' hours, overloaded etc are all things that can be eradicated from our roads if people just stop and think before they act.  

“We are committed to making all roads safer and we will continue to enforce road traffic legislation daily and target those who risk the most harm to the public who just want to go about their daily business without fear of injury or death.  

“Far too many people are seriously injured or killed on Britain's roads and we will continue our work to reduce that number.”