Motorway driver caught sipping mug of tea with both hands off steering wheel

A tea-sipping driver was filmed with both hands off the steering wheel as he drove along the motorway has been caught and fined as part of a crackdown involving police in Merseyside.

The rule-flouting driver was filmed on the M6 in Cheshire last summer as part of Operation Tramline - a multi-agency initiative to make the motorways safer using unmarked cabs operated by police.

The footage shows him drinking from a mug of tea and removing his hands from the wheel before a police officer tells him to concentrate on driving. He was issued a traffic offence report for not being in proper control of his vehicle, resulting in three points being added to his licence and a £100 fine.

During last year’s operation on the M6, Merseyside Police found 30 people to not be wearing a seatbelt, 59 using mobile phone and eight people not in proper control of their vehicle. A further 140 people were found to have been speeding.

Police in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, the Liverpool Ports Police, West Yorkshire and Hull will once again be using National Highways’ unmarked HGV cabs in a bid to reduce and prevent accidents on the road network. The Month of Action dubbed Operation Pennine launches today (September 29) and will continue throughout October.

Martin Humphreys, Chief Officer for Port of Liverpool Police, said: “We are pleased to announce our collaboration with National Highways in our commitment to ensuring the ongoing safety of our roads. As part of our support for Operation Pennine, the Port of Liverpool Police will be ensuring all drivers and vehicles are operating in accordance with legislation.”