Supercabs spying on drivers

Three unmarked HGVS to catch motorists breaking the law

MOTORWAYS and major A-roads in England and Wales will be patrolled by a new set of ‘supercab’ heavy goods vehicles (HGVS) that will help capture motorists breaking the law.

Highways England, which manages England’s motorways and major A-roads, has confirmed that it will fund three unmarked HGV cabs following a successful trial.

Since April 2015, a single unmarked HGV patrolling the road network has helped police officers across 28 forces pull over 4,176 drivers in relation to 5,039 offences.

Nearly two-thirds of the motorists stopped were illegally using a mobile phone. Other offenders included a driver putting toothpaste on to a toothbrush, while another was caught texting 10 times in an hour.

The three ‘supercabs’ will be fitted with wide-angle cameras and feature a destricted speed limiter, allowing them to hit the national speed limit on motorways. They will also feature flashing lights and be followed by police vehicles who can pull over offending motorists. The higher driving position will allow the HGV to better capture misbehaving drivers.

The HGVS will be shared among the 30 police forces that have various jurisdiction over the road network, including South Wales police. Richard Leonard, Highways England’s head of road safety, said: “Highways England has been funding a single cab for the past couple of years and we’ve been impressed with the impact it’s had on improving safety.

“Over 4,000 dangerous drivers have been pulled over, with police action ranging from verbal warnings to prosecutions. We’ve found the vast majority of drivers are sensible behind the wheel, but a few have got into bad habits, or are simply ignoring the law and putting themselves and others at risk.

“We’ve therefore decided to fund two extra unmarked HGV cabs to continue to target dangerous driving on England’s motorways and major A-roads, improving safety for everyone.”

Unmarked HGVS on patrol Feature wide-angle cameras “We’ve been funding a single cab for the past couple of years and been impressed with its impact on safety” RICHARD LEONARD Head of road safety, Highways England

ON PATROL Fleet of unmarked HGVS has grown from one to three. It’s run by Highways England in support of police on motorways and A-roads to catch motorists breaking the law