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Police forces use specially equipped HGV cabs to look for unsafe driving from an elevated viewpoint under Operation Tramline, a road-safety initiative run with National Highways.
National Highways says it lends the camera cabs to 36 police partners across England and Wales, with three cabs scheduled each week. The higher position lets officers see and record behaviour in cars and vans that is harder to spot from an ordinary patrol car.
What officers are looking for
National Highways identifies mobile phone use and failure to wear a seatbelt as the most common offences recorded. Police decide how to respond. The agency says outcomes range from a warning or fixed penalty notice to a court summons or arrest, depending on the circumstances.
The government’s phone-use guidance explains when using a device while driving is prohibited and the limited exceptions. Its seatbelt guidance sets out who must wear one and the exemptions.
What the figures mean
National Highways says police have stopped more than 55,000 vehicles through the operation since it began in 2015, recording more than 60,583 offences. It lists 16,786 seatbelt offences and 16,388 mobile phone offences. These are cumulative figures from the agency’s page, which does not give an as-of date, so they are not a total for November 2026. Vehicles stopped and offences recorded are different counts, and the figures do not show how many convictions followed.
Where the cabs are planned next
The published 2026 schedule lists Durham, Northamptonshire and Sussex for the week beginning 9 November. It is a forward plan and can change. It does not mean a cab will be at any particular location on Friday 6 November. The current schedule on the National Highways page shows any updates.
For drivers the advice is simple: wear a seatbelt where the law requires it, put the phone away and make any adjustments before you set off. Passengers should check their own belts before the journey starts.
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