Orwell Truck & Van supports successful police Operation

Police officers were provided with the cab of a lorry from Orwell Truck and Van, which they used to patrol the A14, A12 and A11 between March 11 and March 20, targeting mainly heavy goods vehicle drivers. As a result, they issued more than 300 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) as part of the operation targeting heavy goods vehicles.

The police were looking for drivers without seatbelts, using mobile phones and committing other offences – and issued 313 TORs leading to £36,150 in fines.

The borrowed lorry cab, which was driven by an officer, enabled police to look into the cabs of other heavy goods vehicles and cars. There was a team of police officers nearby to assist with stopping offenders.

The most common offence was drivers not wearing seatbelts, with 59 also caught using a mobile phone while driving. Other offences included careless driving and driving with no MOT.

Sergeant Julian Ditcham, of the roads and armed policing team, which led the operation, said: “The HGV cab provides officers with an ideal vantage point to spot drivers committing offences and provides us with another means to enforce the law with this specific group of road users, who due to the size of the vehicles they are in control of, pose an added risk to other motorists and also themselves if they are committing offences whilst driving.

“Wearing a seatbelt can prevent many collision-related injuries and fatalities and it is compulsory for drivers to wear them, and they should ensure their passengers buckle-up too. Using a mobile phone distracts drivers and increases their chances of being involved in a serious or fatal collision.

“We would also offer our thanks to Orwell Trucks for once again supporting this road safety campaign, which we have run for a number of years now and will continue to do so.”

Hannah Foden, truck sales co-ordinator for Orwell Truck and Van said: “Road safety is at the forefront of everything we do at Orwell Truck & Van so we were delighted to be asked to support the efforts of Suffolk Police for a third successive year.

“Mercedes-Benz trucks are equipped with the very latest passive and active safety features but, like all road-going vehicles, rely upon the awareness of a qualified driver to prevent accidents on the road. If Operation Wyken has helped to avoid just one such accident, it’s been worthwhile.”

The operation ran alongside a two-week national seatbelt enforcement campaign as well as a Europe-wide campaign by the European Traffic Police Network.