More than 100 motoring offences were identified after Essex Police carried out a recent road safety campaign targeting dangerous drivers. The operation saw officers stop 166 vehicles across key routes in the county.

Working as part of Operation Tramline, a national initiative with National Highways, officers used an unmarked HGV cab to gain a higher vantage point. This allowed them to look directly into vehicles and identify risky behaviour such as mobile phone use, lack of seatbelts and distracted driving that may otherwise go unnoticed.

During the checks, five motorists were arrested on suspicion of drug driving, while seven vehicles were seized due to licence-related offences. In addition, 19 drivers were reported for using their phones behind the wheel and 44 people were caught not wearing seatbelts. Officers also recorded dozens of other violations, including careless driving, invalid number plates and missing MOT certificates.

Police say these types of offences are among the leading causes of serious and fatal collisions. They emphasised that behaviours such as drug driving and distraction are deliberate choices that put lives at risk. Officers added that patrols will continue throughout the year, focusing on busy roads to improve safety and ensure drivers are held accountable for dangerous conduct.