Police crackdown on overburdened vehicles and 'unsafe driving' on M62

An overburdened transporter and a van packed with chicken were among the vehicles stopped by police targeting "unsafe driving" on a busy motorway.

National Highways (NH) said Operation Pennine saw officers use unmarked HGVs to identify "unsafe driving" on the M62 between Liverpool and Hull in October.

It said officers stopped 435 vehicles and "uncovered" 375 offences and dozens of "overweight" vehicles.

Safety manager Lisa Scott said the number of offences was "disappointing".

NH said 86 drivers were stopped for using their mobile phones at the wheel, while 34 others were found to not be wearing a seatbelt.

It said Greater Manchester Police "found a common theme on their stretch of the M62 with 66 vehicles being found to be overweight", including a van overladen with chicken and a 3.5-tonne transporter carrying a vintage American car to the south of England coming in more than a tonne over the legal limit.

Officers from Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Liverpool Ports Police and Merseyside Police were all involved in the month-long operation while NH provided the vehicles.

Sgt Matt Picton for the North West Commercial Vehicle Unit said the month of action had "shed some light on just how many drivers on our roads are willing to take risks that could have serious consequences".

"All could have contributed to a serious, maybe even fatal, accident," he said.

"Using a mobile phone, wearing no seatbelt, speeding or using a car in poor mechanical condition are all things that can be eradicated from our roads if people just stop and think before they act. " 

Ms Scott added that it was "disappointing that almost 400 offences were spotted... but thanks to the action, those drivers were prevented from continuing with their unsafe behaviours".

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