Two lorry drivers were caught watching DVDs while on major roads in Leicestershire in a police operation.
Officers used a heavy goods vehicle of their own to spy on drivers on the M1 and A1.
The three-day operation ran from Tuesday to Thursday and caught 90 drivers for a variety of offences.
Leicestershire Police said it was to cut down on drink-driving, not wearing a seatbelt, using a phone and speeding, known as the fatal four.
The force said the lorry drivers were watching foreign language films as they were not from the UK.
PC Russ Davies said police often had reports of lorry drivers watching DVDs on laptops, but it was usually difficult to prove. “Invariably when drivers do it they start veering off onto the hard shoulder,” he said "Because of the height they are at it’s difficult to prove they are watching a film, as some of them have sat-navs on their computers as well. “So unless we can get up and see what they are doing we can’t prosecute them.”
Of the 90 drivers caught during the operation, 52 were not wearing a seatbelt and were given £60 fines.
Another 21 were using a mobile phone, six were said to be not in proper control of their vehicles and two were watching DVDs. All were given a £60 fine with three points on their licence.
A further nine were caught driving longer than they should and were given a mixture of warnings and fines.
**** ******** was one lorry driver caught not wearing a seatbelt. He said: "I didn’t realise I was supposed to be wearing a seatbelt in a truck. I always wear one in the car. “But they caught me bang to rights, you’ve got no choice really.”
PC Davies added: "There’s just that small minority who think, perhaps by their height, they are going to be immune from prosecution. “What we are trying to achieve is to let them know we are out looking for these offences.”
On the subject of laptops, has the actual law changed regarding televisions in vehicles?
Because the legal definition was a cathode ray tube, now since a laptop isn’t a cathode ray tube, nor is a flat screen tv, what law would they use?
I imagine it was changed, but that was the law it was doable under.
Brrmmm!
Just when you thought it was safe to go back onto the orbital…
Don’t cross that lane!
Beware the barging-up Betz menace!
Ffffff… WHo’s that coming up behind with the fuse pulled out?
Oh no! It’s plod with an unlimited cab and he’s filming you watching this movie and eating your cheese board!
Are you still going to settle down and watcH? 
Christmas bonus time for plod.
There really are some dumb drivers on our roads but these idiots deserve to be put off ther road for good.The reputation of current day truck drivers is poor enough but when drivers are caught wathching DVD’s it is just beyond belief.Are there any professional drivers left these days? I sometimes wonder.
shytalk I did not realise they allowed childrens comments.
Hi all.This used to be a regular sight in Italy when an Italian truck would come flying past with the driver watching his favourite tv program.
As you say this does not enhance the reputation of truck drivers in general.
Unfortunately due to the incompetence of journalists, when i watched this item on Swedish news they only stated that ''in the UK 2 truck drivers were stopped for watching films whilst driving .There was nothing about them being ‘‘non british’’ citizens so this sort of crap reporting only makes a bad situation worse.Mike
albion1971:
There really are some dumb drivers on our roads but these idiots deserve to be put off ther road for good.The reputation of current day truck drivers is poor enough but when drivers are caught wathching DVD’s it is just beyond belief.Are there any professional drivers left these days? I sometimes wonder.shytalk I did not realise they allowed childrens comments.
i can’t see where you are going with this comment?
if people are stupid enough to watch DVD’s, use a hand held phone, or anything else that they have been done for, he has got a valid point, christmas bonus time, because it is easy pickings for the police