Co-ordinated by TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network, at the end of July, the operation saw police carry out checks on nearly 140,000 trucks across 27 countries between 21st and 27th July.

The wide range of safety inspections focused on speeding, alcohol, drugs, seatbelt use, tachograph infringements, excess weight, dangerous loading and document offences.

A total of 44,859 offences were detected, including the following:

• 421 drivers for alcohol and drug offences
• 5,054 offences of exceeding the speed limit
• 5,074 instances of drivers exceeding their maximum permitted time at the wheel
• 939 overweight trucks and 981 insecure loads.
• 3,828 immediate prohibitions on trucks, most because of vehicle technical defects

Stopping truck drivers to conduct safety checks offences also provided police officers with the opportunity to make other appropriate security enquiries. For example, officers also detected and dealt with offences connected with irregular immigration and human trafficking (1153), wanted persons (54), possession of drugs (22), firearms (10), stolen goods (9) and other crimes (506).

Of the 1181 immigration and human trafficking offences, 1153 were recorded by police officers in Greece, who also recorded 26 out of the 54 wanted person detections.

TISPOL director Pasi Kemppainen said: ‘TISPOL is committed to safer, more secure roads across Europe. We know that the vast majority of truck drivers and operators take a pride in the quality and safety of their work, and we strive to support them. We find they value the work we do, and co-operation with them at the roadside is generally excellent.

‘However, there remains a proportion of less scrupulous operators, who put profits first and who will cut safety corners in the process. It is against these that our efforts are focused. We are also working to ensure a more consistent enforcement of current laws governing large goods vehicle safety.’