Almost 600 offences were discovered in a week of action in May by police and personnel from Highways England patrolling the M6 motorway in unmarked HGV ‘supercabs’. The HGV tractor units give officers a clear view into cabs and often catch offending drivers unawares.

Police officers caught 92 drivers using their mobile phone illegally – with one playing online poker and another FaceTiming his partner. Failing to wear a seatbelt was the most common offence with 138 people seen risking their lives by not belting up.

In total there were 594 vehicles stopped by police using the unmarked cabs including 230 HGVs and 199 private vehicles. Action taken ranged from words of advice or fixed penalty notices, to traffic offences being reported and even eight arrests.

Highways England Head of Road Safety Jeremy Phillips said, “Our aim through this week of action was to make not only the M6 but all of our roads safer by raising awareness and encouraging motorists to consider their driving behaviour.”

“The HGV cabs helped the police to identify almost 600 dangerous drivers who could have caused collisions and harm if they hadn’t been pulled over.”

Six police forces took part in the operation – Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire, Warwickshire Police and Central Motorway Police Group.

Photo: Police 'supercabs' often catch drivers unawares.