M-way lorry driver caught watching film on his laptop

A lorry driver has been stopped by police after being caught out watching a film on the M20.

Police have released shocking footage after stopping several drivers dicing with death on the motorways.

In one case, officers stopped a lorry driver on the M20 and found he could only see a small fraction of the road every time he glanced at his laptop screen.

He was one of dozens of drivers who were stopped, fined, given points or educational advice in a special roads policing operation.

Last week, police patrolled the M20 in an unmarked large goods vehicle.

The 40-tonne lorry allows officers to see into cars and larger vehicles.

Motorists caught committing offences were filmed and then stopped by marked police cars. In one case, a sports car was stopped for driving at 105mph on the M20 coastbound between junctions 10 and 11.

Across the five days, 37 drivers were stopped for using mobile devices, 33 for speeding, two for driving an inappropriate vehicle in lane three and one for a child seatbelt offence. In total, 25 fines were issued, 15 were reported for offences and in 33 cases advice was given by officers.

Supt Andrew Reeves said: “This five-day operation has made it clear that despite the costs a minority of motorists are still prepared to break the law.

“Any momentary lapse in concentration, such as talking on the phone, texting or looking at a device such as a laptop in the vehicle, can have disastrous and life-changing consequences.

“It is for this reason that such offences can carry a large fine and six points on your licence.

“It is completely unacceptable behaviour, which puts the individual and other road users at risk.

“I urge those caught in this operation and others who have used such devices while driving to learn from their mistakes and drive safely in future.”

The driver’s laptop was obscuring the windscreen

One driver was caught reading papers at the wheel