An Edinburgh HGV driver was caught by police 'steering with his forearms' while both hands were on his mobile phone.
Police Scotland released figures from a five-week long road policing initiative which saw several Edinburgh drivers caught out for different traffic offences, including a woman eating a bowl of cereal while driving on the Queensferry Crossing. Officers say that over 100 vehicles were stopped after they drafted in a white HGV to hide in plain sight in areas such as Edinburgh, Fife and in the Forth Valley area.
They said the driver in question was travelling on the city bypass while on his phone and clearly wasn't in control of the vehicle. He was issued six penalty points and received a £200 fine.
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Their statement read: "During Operation Tramline, which was carried out between Tuesday, April 26 to Thursday, May 26, 2022 a total of 78 cars, 44 LGVs and two motorcycles were stopped by officers using an unmarked HGV cab.
"The HGV cab was deployed on dual carriageways and motorways in Fife, in and around Edinburgh, and in the Forth Valley area.
"As a result 138 offences were detected. Of these 58 per cent (80) related to mobile phone offences, 14.5 per cent (20) to seat belt offences, 4.3 per cent (6) to careless or inconsiderate driving and 23.2 per cent (32) to other road traffic offences.
"Please note some drivers committed more than one offence.
"On the Edinburgh City bypass a HGV driver was found to be using both hands on his mobile and steering with his forearms, clearly not in control of his vehicle. He received a £200 fine and six penalty points."
Edinburgh Live previously reported how one woman on the M90 Queensferry Crossing was spotted eating a bowl of cereal while driving. She was fined £100 and had three points added to her license.
Road policing officer Tom Aitken said: “Keeping all road users safe is a top priority for Police Scotland and Operation Tramline was set up to help us to reduce the number of road casualties we see on a day to day basis. I cannot emphasize enough that drivers should be in control of their vehicle at all time.
"Eating your breakfast or using a mobile phone or laptop is clearly a major distraction. A split second lapse in concentration could result in a crash which can cause serious injury and even death.
"I would urge all road users to be aware and to stay safe. Road crashes can cause devastation for all those involved."
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