A police operation which helps police identify potential dangerous driver behaviour is taking place across the Dyfed-Powys force area.

Operation Tramline is an operation taken from Highways England which equips police forces with a Heavy Goods Vehicle and enables them to carry out patrols of main arterial roads throughout Wales.

The vehicle gives operational officers a different perspective, enabling them to better detect dangerous driving.

The initiative was designed to help the police identify and record potentially dangerous driver behaviour using a hand held video camera in a HGV tractor unit.

The four Welsh police forces, in partnership with GoSafe, the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership, will work across Wales to stop drivers who are driving dangerously. Some of the hazardous driving behaviour being targeted includes: dangerous driving in commercial vehicles, such as HGV, texting / using mobile devices / streaming while driving, seat belt offences, dangerous or careless driving and other motoring offences

Operation Tramline started in England in March 2015 and now tours the country on a monthly basis via regional police forces.

The aim of extending the pilot to Wales is to deter and discourage non-compliance and improve driver behaviour.

Inspector Steve Davies, from South Wales Police’s Specialist Operations department, and Operation Tramline coordinator said: “The ‘supercab’ will patrol the motorway and main trunk roads across Wales, and has been fitted with wide-angle cameras to capture unsafe driving behaviour.

"They also have an unrestricted speed limiter, which means they can travel at speeds up to the national speed limit, and flashing lights have been installed for use by police forces in an emergency.

“The cabs allow police officers to film evidence of unsafe driving behaviour by pulling up alongside vehicles. Drivers are then pulled over by police cars following behind.

“We find that the vast majority of drivers are sensible behind the wheel but some are putting themselves and others at risk, therefore Operation Tramline will be a welcome addition to our officers’ daily work improving road safety across Wales."

Teresa Ciano, Partnership Manager for GoSafe said:“Road Safety is a priority for the police, highways authorities and GoSafe in Wales and that’s why we’re working collaboratively to tackle and change poor driving behaviour.

“Doing what we can to reduce incidents on our network not only improves safety, it reduces congestion and provides more reliable journeys for the thousands of drivers who use Wales’ motorways and trunk roads each day.

"Operation Tramline will be a welcome addition, helping to raise awareness of drivers’ responsibilities and improving road safety.”

Police forces across Wales are committed to keeping roads safe. Last year, working in partnership, Go Safe and the four welsh forces launched Operation Snap.

The initiative enables road users to report dangerous driving captured through dashcam. Since November 2017 over 70 drivers have received formal warnings and 118 drivers receiving notices of intended prosecution.

To report dangerous driving, road users can submit captured footage of dangerous driving online by visiting gosafesnap.wales/ or gosafesnap.cymru.

Alternatively, in a non-emergency call 101, in an emergency always call 999.