A POLICE and DVSA operation targeting commercial vehicles on the M40 last month found only eight out of 20 were in order with no issues to report.
Of the 12 others, three had insecure loads and the drivers were prohibited from continuing their journeys until their loads were safely tied down.
Three vehicles had illegal tints – luckily two drivers could remove the tints at the roadside, however Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) staff prohibited one driver from continuing as the actual glass was tinted and couldn’t be removed.
Six vehicles were also found to be overweight with one exceeding its limit by 21 per cent.
All six drivers received Traffic Offence Reports and four were prohibited from continuing their journeys until their vehicles were adequately unloaded.
This involved other vehicles being called to motorway services to take part of their loads.
Officers also intercepted a fully loaded 3.5 ton car transporter and trailer weighing four tons.
This was found to be half a ton overweight and the driver was immediately prohibited by the DVSA from continuing due to excessive windscreen tints that could not all be removed.
This meant the driver then had to remove the tints of the vehicles he was transporting so they could be driven away on trade plates. The car transporter and trailer was also seized by officers.
Earlier in the same month Warwickshire Roads Policing Officers and Special Constables pulled over 16 vehicles for weighing.
This resulted in two drivers being prosecuted for excessively heavy vehicles. The vehicles were also prohibited from moving until their weight was reduced.
The DVSA also prohibited two drivers from continuing their journey one due to the load being insecure and another for no tread on tyres.
PS Shaun Bridle said: “Overweight vehicles are extremely dangerous to the drivers themselves and other road users.
“The additional weight affects handling and braking distances and heavy loads can start to pull the vehicle instead of the other way around.
“Warwickshire Police and partners see the results of collisions at first hand and that is why we will do whatever we can to help prevent collisions from occurring and to improve road safety for everyone.”
David Collings from the DVSA added: “DVSA’s priority is to protect people from unsafe drivers and vehicles.
“This action alongside our partners serves as a reminder of the risks associated with cutting corners on road safety.
“Every driver or operator has a responsibility to check their vehicle is in a roadworthy condition before beginning a journey.”
Further operations are planned throughout March to support the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership target of reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on local roads by 50 per cent by 2030.
