An HGV driver spotted by police on the M1 not wearing a seatbelt was subsequently found to be disqualified, uninsured and using a mobile phone at the wheel too.
Eriks Teivans, 34, was arrested and charged with four offences by Northamptonshire police during the operation earlier this month. In addition, nine lorry drivers were stopped for having insecure, dangerous loads.
PC Dave Lee said: “Reducing the number of people who are killed and seriously injured on our roads remains our priority and to hold a driving licence is both a privilege and a responsibility. Some commercial drivers travel thousands of miles each year in the UK and across Europe 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. It was particularly disappointing to find so many drivers prepared to not only put their own lives at risk but also those of others, to check messages, send texts or watch online content on their mobile phones
“Nothing is so important that it can’t wait and certainly checking your mobile while driving is not worth the risk of not getting home safely. Driving needs your full attention, so please take responsibility for your personal safety on the roads and hang up.”
