The Investigation

A GB-wide investigation carried out by the DVSA showed serious faults uncovered on HGVs and light commercial vehicles included problems with steering, suspension, wheels, tyres and brakes.

The DVSA said all of these issues were dangerous enough to affect the driver’s control of the vehicle and could have resulted in a serious incident. As a result, the vehicles were immediately removed from the road.

The co-ordinated day of action, carried out by police forces from across Britain and the National Highways, targeted high risk vehicles up and down the country from Edinburgh to Dover and Glasgow to Plymouth.

83 deliberate or negligent traffic offences were recorded including the falsification of documents, licence issues, no operator licences, drivers’ hours offences and carrying excess weight, according to the DVSA.

In total, 150 prohibitions were handed out during the operation that saw 410 HGVs and 108 vans and light goods vehicles checked across Britain.

The DVSA added that although the operation found that the majority of the commercial vehicle industry is operating safely and legally, there was also “a concerning number of operators posing a serious risk” to others.

DVSA’s director of enforcement, Marian Kitson said: “The results of this operation serve as a reminder of the risks associated with cutting corners on road safety.

“DVSA is here to support those who operate safely and legally and we want to ensure they are not disadvantaged by dangerous and reckless road users.”

What could prevent these infractions?

SmartCompliance covers a trio of compliance solutions all aimed at keeping your fleet on the road and compliant with the DVSA and DVLA guidelines.

SmartCheck enables drivers to easily carry out a daily vehicle safety check with no paper required. Allowing for a secure data trail and reporting of any damage or wear on a vehicle. Users of SmartCheck now have the data to review their fleets maintenance ahead of paper-based systems allowing for more warning and flexibility when calling vehicles in for repairs and catching issues early before they become more costly and keep your vehicle off the road.

SmartAnalysis – the no.1 choice for tachograph analysis in the UK. Descartes SmartAnalysis enables transport managers to easily run reports to check for infringements on drivers’ hours, missing milage and more. This solution is proven and effective for fleets of hundreds to a fleet of one.

As a new user of SmartAnalysis you can sign up for a year’s subscription and receive 14 months for the price of 12 months as we do our little bit to help the logistics industry in this tough period.

Finally, SmartLicence enables fleet transport managers to automate drivers licence checks in relation to their risk of disqualification. With a direct link to the DVLA checks are trustworthy and accurate with the system offering a host of reports and flexibility.

Commander Kyle Gordon of national police chiefs council roads policing operations said: “By breaking the law to seek a commercial advantage, a small minority of drivers and operators are endangering people’s lives.

“Often the sheer size and weight of some of these larger vehicles means any collision they are involved with has even more potential to leave families and communities devastated.

“We really welcome the opportunity to identify those drivers who would put themselves and others at that risk, which is totally unacceptable.”

With compliance solutions being more accessible than ever there is no excuse for not playing your part in keeping Britain’s roads safe.

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