Operation Tramline, a roads policing operation held over two weeks in Devon and Cornwall this month on the M5, A30, A38 and sections of the A361, has been declared a success by police.

82 vehicles were stopped, and 105 offences were recorded which included 37 drivers using hand-held mobile devices.

The operation employed officers from the Devon and Cornwall Police and Dorset Police Alliance Roads Policing Team, and focused on heavy and light goods vehicles, although in the course of their duties officers recorded offences by drivers of other types of vehicles and assisted at the scene of five road traffic collisions.

The operation utilised Highways England’s unmarked HGV to help detect offences and continued the work to make our roads safer for all.

One articulated lorry driver was travelling up the M5 while using a laptop computer to book his ferry and another articulated lorry driver was on Facebook.

Offences included:

Use of mobile phone handheld 37

Excess speed 24

Not in proper control of vehicle 8

Careless driving 2

No insurance 3

No MOT 3

No vehicle excise license (VEL) formerly known as “tax disc” 2

Glass not as prescribed (tinted windows) 3

Penalties included:

13 offences reported for proceedings

53 fixed penalties

13 graduated fixed penalty notices (these apply to the weight of commercial vehicles) total £2600

6 immediate prohibitions