Almost 200 Drivers Caught in Week-Long West Midlands Motorway Crackdown

Officers from the West Midlands Police Roads Policing Unit (RPU) tackled nearly 200 traffic offences during Operation Tramline last week — including one motorist caught rolling a cannabis joint while behind the wheel.

Operation Tramline, a joint initiative with National Highways, involves specialist officers using an unmarked HGV to spot and respond to driving offences as they happen. The elevated cab of the lorry gives officers a clear view into vehicles, revealing a range of dangerous and careless behaviours.

Among the most concerning incidents officers observed were:

• A lorry driver carrying flammable liquids seen eating a meal — holding a cup in one hand and a spoon in the other.

• A van driver spotted rolling a suspected cannabis joint, later testing positive for both cannabis and cocaine.

• Another van driver weaving through traffic at high speed, using both hands to type on a mobile phone.

• A taxi driver operating unprofessionally while using a mobile phone.

  
  

During the operation, 195 offences were recorded. Of these, 50 drivers were caught using mobile phones and 34 were not wearing seatbelts — two of the so-called “fatal four” causes of serious road collisions.

Officers also identified 11 insecure loads, 11 uninsured drivers, and five prohibited vehicles using the outside motorway lane.

The patrols took place between 18 and 25 October, covering routes including the M5, M6, M42, and A38(M). In total, officers issued 139 traffic offence reports and seized 10 vehicles.

Sergeant Sarah Phillips from the RPU said:

“We’re thankful to National Highways for their partnership in Operation Tramline, which allows us to make excellent use of the HGV. The results show how effective it is in identifying offences in real time — behaviours that clearly endanger other road users.“Some of what we witnessed was truly alarming. I hope these examples encourage drivers to think twice about their actions. Our traffic officers patrol around the clock, every day of the year, to keep West Midlands roads safe.”

Marie Biddulph, Regional Safety Programme Manager for National Highways, added:

“This year marks the 10th anniversary of Operation Tramline — ten years of collaboration with police to promote safer driving and reduce risks on our roads.“It’s disappointing to still see unsafe behaviour such as 50 people using mobile phones while driving. Using a phone at the wheel makes you four times more likely to be involved in a collision.”