Lorry driver spotted scrolling through TikTok while BEHIND WHEEL on M6

A driver was caught scrolling TikTok while behind the wheel of a lorry on the M6 motorway.

The man was busted by officers as part of an undercover sting on the motorway in Staffordshire, Birmingham Live reports. He was reportedly spotted swerving across lanes of the motorway on the M6 Toll near Cannock as he scrolled the social media app on his phone while driving.

Police said he was processed for driving without due care and attention. He will attend court at a date to be fixed, officers added.

He was caught after Staffordshire Police - in partnership with National Highways - carried out Operation Tramline using an unmarked HGV tractor unit to patrol the county’s motorways and strategic roads. From an elevated position, officers were able to spot if motorists were making calls on handheld mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts.

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This month, officers issued 63 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) as part of the operation. These were for issues including excess speed, driving without due care and attention, and having no insurance.

A total of 35 drivers were dealt with for using mobile phones and 28 for seatbelt offences, while three vehicles were seized and 78 were stopped. Inspector Jody Cruxton, of Staffordshire Police's road crime team, said: "Op Tramline enables us to proactively identify and deal with some of the leading causes of death and serious injury collisions on our roads.

"This is just one of our many operations targeting the four biggest contributors to road casualties, or the ‘fatal four’. These are drink and drug driving, using a mobile phone at the wheel, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt.

"Partnership working is key to ensuring that we continue to improve road safety for all and this operation is a great demonstration of that. In 2023, 45 people sadly lost their lives on roads in Staffordshire.

"This is why the road crime team and partners are so committed to working proactively to enforce and promote road safety." Deputy Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Dave Evans, co-chair of the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership alongside Commissioner Ben Adams, said in a statement: "Road Safety Week is an opportunity to remember those who are killed or injured on our roads, and campaign for everyone’s right to make safe and healthy journeys.

"Every road victim counts, and we can all make a difference. Whenever we choose to speed, use a mobile phone while driving or drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, we increase the risk of a collision.”

National Highways assistant regional safety co-ordinator, Marie Biddulph, added: "At National Highways, we believe that no-one should be harmed while travelling on our roads and are committed to making our roads as safe as they can be. Through Operation Tramline, and working very closely with our police partners, we want to make people think about their driving behaviour and reduce the number of incidents caused by unsafe driving.

"We know that distracted driving and not wearing seatbelts are often key factors in incidents that result in people being killed or seriously injured, research shows that you are four times more likely to be in a crash if you use your phone while driving and twice as likely to die in a crash if you don’t wear a seatbelt.

“So, we would appeal to the minority of motorists who continue to put themselves and others at risk to think again about their driving - or risk being spotted by police in one of our Tramline HGVs."

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