Warwickshire Police's motorway crackdown halts drivers - The Redditch Standard

Warwickshire Police's motorway crackdown halts drivers

Redditch Editorial 15th Apr, 2021   0

THE commercial vehicle unit at Warwickshire Police detected 242 offences after stopping 199 vehicles in a five day operation on the M40, M42, M6 and A46 between March 8-12.

During the Operation, the team, supported by the operations patrol unit and Special Constabulary used the specially adapted Highways England owned HGV supercab from which they were able to observe vehicles and driver behaviours in all vehicles.

Sergeant Carl Stafford said “In all 143 of the 199 vehicles stopped were commercial vehicles and most offences were committed by commercial drivers who were driving for work.

“This is too many and demonstrates that more education and enforcement activity is needed by police and partners.




“We are continuing to see issues with commercial vehicles not having a movement order and displaying incorrect signage when they are transporting abnormal loads.

“The weight of vehicles is also an issue with the smaller 3.5 ton vehicles.


“The worst offender was 55 per cent overweight and was prohibited from moving until that weight was reduced to the legal limit.

“Fortunately there are many responsible hauliers and commercial vehicle drivers who passed our stringent safety checks with flying colours.”

During the operation, a total of 203 traffic offence reports were issued as well as 15 graduated fixed penalty notices amounting to £2,600.

Twenty-three commercial drivers were referred to the traffic commissioner due to the seriousness of the offences committed, 49 were reported for using a mobile phone, 10 weren’t in proper control of their vehicle, 64 weren’t wearing seatbelts, 14 were speeding, 10 had no insurance, six had stopped on the hard shoulder without good reason and two were in the outside lane of the motorway when their vehicle is prohibited from doing so.

A further 26 were stopped due to the condition of their vehicle, one committed tachograph offences, 10 were driving without due care and attention and 31 had insecure loads.

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