Insecure load and heavily tinted windows just two of the reasons dozens motorists were stopped on the M1 in Northamptonshire

An insecure load and heavily tinted windows are just two reasons why dozens of motorists were stopped on the M1 in Northamptonshire last week.

The stops were part of a campaign between several police forces and National Highways to crack down on motoring offences.

Eight police forces travelled the route between Leeds and London in the unmarked HGVs - owned by National Highways - on the look-out for unsafe driving in a week of action targeting the motorway.

In the Midlands, with Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire forces taking part, there were 309 offences recorded including 108 people not wearing their seatbelt, 62 using their mobile phone and 27 driving without due care.

They included one driver in Northamptonshire who was stopped due to the front side windows being heavily tinted and when tested they only allowed 11 percent of light through.

The driver did admit to officers: “I sometimes have to wind the window down to see at night”. He was reported for having a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

County police also stopped a driver with an insecure load for which he argued “that their own weight holds them on”. They were also reported for traffic offences.

Northamptonshire Police Safer Roads Operations Manager, Matt O’Connell said: “Making sure everyone gets home safely is our top priority, and to achieve this, we need to ensure that we all use our roads both legally and responsibly.

“Commercial drivers drive thousands, if not tens of thousands, of miles each year and are sadly more likely to see the tragic consequences of poor driving standards, so it is always disappointing to still catch a small minority breaking the law.

“However, Operation Freeway is just one of many good examples of how we can improve safety on our roads and is partnership working at its best. The HGV provided to us by National Highways is an essential tool which allows us to identify offences being committed and deal with those responsible robustly.”

Across the week and the full area, officers stopped a total of 663 vehicles and uncovered 691 offences. The most common offence was not wearing a seatbelt with 239 people caught without their belt on.

This was followed by 181 people spotted using a mobile phone at the wheel then 44 drivers not in proper control of their vehicle and 43 driving without due care and attention.

Penalties ranged from words of advice and traffic offence reports to 14 court summons and even five arrests.

National Highways provides the unmarked HGV cabs to police forces across the country as part of Operation Tramline. From the elevated position in the HGV, officers can spot unsafe driving behaviour – whatever vehicle the motorist may be in.

National Highways head of road safety Jeremy Phillips added: “It is disappointing that almost 700 offences were spotted in just one week – but thanks to Operation Freeway those drivers were prevented from continuing with their unsafe behaviours.

“Through this week of action we aim to reduce the number of incidents on the M1 and to encourage motorists to think about their driving and to adopt safer behaviours,” he added.