On 9 February 2026 Cambridgeshire Constabulary published a statement saying officers had used an adapted lorry to spot drivers using mobile phones during a road safety operation that took place on 26 January 2026. The patrols form part of a crackdown on distracted driving intended to reduce the number of serious collisions in the local area.
The elevated vehicle is part of National Highways’ Operation Tramline-style HGV camera-cab programme, which loans specialist HGV cabs to police forces so officers can look directly into vehicle cabins from a higher vantage point. In Cambridgeshire the adapted lorry was used on strategic routes including the A1(M), A1307, A14 and M11.
As with other Operation Tramline patrols, two officers operate from the elevated cab — one films and observes while the other drives. When they identify a driver using a handheld device they relay details to a separate police car following behind to safely stop the vehicle; offenders are then reported and may receive a Fixed Penalty Notice.
Drivers caught holding a phone face a £200 fine and six penalty points on their driving licence under laws tightened in 2022. The rules make it illegal to hold a device for almost any reason while in charge of a vehicle, including when stationary at traffic lights or when scrolling through music playlists; new drivers (within two years of passing) risk immediate loss of their licence if points are applied.
Police said the aim of these patrols is to save lives by discouraging dangerous driving habits. The operation is part of wider enforcement targeting the ‘Fatal Four’ — mobile phone use, speeding, not wearing seatbelts and drink or drug driving — to help reduce road deaths and serious injuries.
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