Illegal behaviour rampant among HGV drivers.

[subaqua]

If there is a problem with those particular group of vehicles .... is it a problem targeting them? With limited resources I would rather they stopped the ones they thought would fail than randomly stopping all, though they need to do random checks too. (Obviously if they are twisting the statistics based on that targeted approach, that would be wrong).

no problem with them targetting problem vehicles, but a cracked reflector , or a marker board only having 3 screws instead of 4 or fuel issues as defects are not going to cause an injury yet get lumped in with the derious defects such as defective brakes , leaking airlines.

One wonders how many of the vehicles with defects include broken lamps that have stopped working during the course of that journey. it can happen despite peoples cries of " anecdotal evidence"

 

[summerdays]

One wonders how many of the vehicles with defects include broken lamps that have stopped working during the course of that journey. it can happen despite peoples cries of " anecdotal evidence"

There are so many people that use that as an excuse (for weeks/months), that it becomes impossible to tell if it is true.

 

[albion]

For every 9 decent HGV driver you have 1 right crazy idiot.

I recall a HGV pulling out after what looked like a drop off, accelerate like mad and proceed to bounce for half a mile over the speed bumps.
The bouncing noise was deafening and you could be confident a fair bit of damage had been done, if not to his truck, to the road.

 

[glenn forger]

[QUOTE 2860434, member: 30090"]Agreed, I'm glad the wheel tappers are finally doing some work and have no problem with them pulling people over. And if makes the industry take responsibility then even better.

As mentioned it was the rather crass generalisation of the OP that annoyed me. My Dad is a lorry driver, I was a lorry driver, I've worked with many truckers and having it said that we all partake in illegal behaviour ****es me off.[/quote]


Nobody said that. Don't make up stuff that nobody's said.
You can Google Operation Mermaid, a country wide scheme of claiming down on errant HGVS drivers and vehicles. All over the country lorries are being driven illegally. You may not like this, but it's a fact, your industry has a terrible reputation for drivers and vehicles breaking the law. That's not prejudice, it's a fact.

 

[BrianEvesham]

[QUOTE 2859173, member: 45"]I'd be interested to know whether they stopped all lorries that passed them or picked their targets, as this would skew the statistics.[/quote]
No, they go on a traffic light system for bad operators so if a "dodgy" operators truck is picked up approaching a road check he is almost guaranteed to be pulled, where as the sweaky clean good operator will be waved on.
So they are targeting the rouges which makes the figures look worse than they are.

 

[glenn forger]

For every 9 decent HGV driver you have 1 right crazy idiot.

16% of vehicles stopped in Essex were immediately taken off the road.

http://www.essex.police.uk/news_fea...0/january/drive_to_rid_roads_of_dangerou.aspx

 

[summerdays]

So they are targeting the rouges which makes the figures look worse than they are.

Doesn't that happen for cyclists too? Recently the police in Bristol have been stopping cyclists and motorists breaking the law at traffic lights. Nowhere in their statistics is there any figures for the numbers of cyclists and motorists who didn't jump the lights, have no lights, etc.

 

[Doc333]

16% of vehicles stopped in Essex were immediately taken off the road.

http://www.essex.police.uk/news_fea...0/january/drive_to_rid_roads_of_dangerou.aspx

90% of foreign HGV's in the country at any one time have to drive through Essex!! what a fantastic argument you're putting up. Also that stupid irresponsible statement you made about the transport industry's reputation is almsost libelous mate, if I were you I would try and keep quiet. If you have any concerns in that area please put your questions/accustations in writing to Beverley Bell, whi is the UK's foremost Traffic Commisioner. She is the person who is responsible for prosecuting all errant HGV drivers and truck operators. In her latest statement to government she states that 2013 has been the most succesful year in all her years experience. UK truck prosecutions down, UK operator transgressions at their lowest since records began in the 1970's. Prosecutions for foreign liveried/badged/owned trucks at a record high. She also asks the ministrer for transport to progress the road charging bill for foreign trucks, and to urge UK border force to check trucks for defects, illegal cargo, illegal people smuggling, contraband and red deisel.

Oh sorry this doesn't quite fit your post does it.

 

[albion]

In compensation, you have a better reputation than white van man.

It just happens that very many cycle fatalities have a HGV connection.

 

[JoeyB]

[QUOTE 2859173, member: 45"]I'd be interested to know whether they stopped all lorries that passed them or picked their targets, as this would skew the statistics.[/quote]
This ^

I'm guessing they only stopped the ones they suspected to be dodgy.

 

[glenn forger]

that stupid irresponsible statement you made about the transport industry's reputation is almsost libelous mate, if I were you I would try and keep quiet.

Your industry has a worse safety record on the roads than any other vehicle type. Good luck with bringing a libel case, statement of fact is a defence.

Operation Mermaid in Scotland:

As a result of the operation 330 vehicles were stopped and inspected. 131 offences were detected and 46 vehicles were prohibited for mechanical defects.

A 40 yr old man was stopped in Glasgow driving a goods vehicle. The man provided a positive breath test and his vehicle was found to be overloaded. A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in relation to these offences.

The DWP traced three people who were claiming benefits while working. Their benefits were immediately removed and DWP continue their enquiries.

http://www.scotland.police.uk/whats-happening/news/2013/may/169615/

Cleveland:

Of 50 vehicles that were stopped and checked, 36 offences were detected.

Three vehicles were seized for having no insurance, seven vehicles were issued with prohibitions following a number of defective vehicles and one driver was issued a £200 fine by VOSA for not taking his weekly rest period.

http://www.cleveland.police.uk/news/releases/release15354.aspx

North Wales:

Out of the 43 vehicles stopped as part of the operation 35 (80%) were found to be breaching the law.



Throughout the day a number of offences were found including people with no valid driving licence, no road tax, vehicle overloading, committing driver hours’ offences, using mobile phones, defective tyres and excess speed.

http://www.north-wales.police.uk/news__appeals/latest_news/operation_mermaid.aspx

These are not trivial offences, and they cannot possibly have all been committed by the foreigners you seem desperate to blame.

Warks:

Twenty-one vehicles were pulled over into Barnhill Services on the M40 under Operation Mermaid where Police worked alongside officers from VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) and HMRC.

VOSA issued 14 prohibitions, preventing the vehicle from being driven until the defect had been rectified whilst the Police issued:

- Two fixed penalty notices for tacograph offences

- Two fixed penalty notices with a £60 fine and three points for defective tyres

- Three drivers were reported to court for having a vehicle in a dangerous condition, one of which had 10 reported offences in total.

http://www.safer-neighbourhoods.co....utham-policing-area-nets-21-unlawful-vehicles

Your claims about Beverley Bell are not accurate either, in fact she said the direct opposite of what you claimed:

Beverley Bell slammed Vosa for “not targeting the serially and seriously non-compliant” .

The allegations were made before the Transport Select Committee in April as part of its ongoing inquiry into Vosa’s work, but the full transcript of the evidence was only made public last month ahead of the publication of the committee’s final report later this month.

With regards to the number of Vosa-led prosecutions being seen by all TCs, Bell said: “Where are the drivers’ hours referrals? Where are the serious investigations?”




She added: “In the view of all TCs, this isn’t happening anymore. We don’t get those serious cases brought to our attention.”


Bell insisted: “It is easy for Vosa to target the soft underbelly of the nice, but incompetent, small operators. It is much more difficult to target the tough hard core of highly non-compliant operators, who show a total disregard for road safety.”

http://www.commercialmotor.com/late...e&utm_campaign=GOOGLE_PLUS_|_Commercial_Motor

Beverley Bell complains not enough is done to get these idiots off the road.

 

[subaqua]

There are so many people that use that as an excuse (for weeks/months), that it becomes impossible to tell if it is true.

does not mean that it doesn't happen.

I got most aggrieved with a dealership who at MOT time, rightly changed the original indicator lamps on my wifes car after 11 years as the orange was starting to let white through, and the replacement lamp failed in less than 6 hours. The stealer wanted to charge me for another new lamp as " lamps can go at any time" . funny that the original lamps in the cars were still working just starting to show a little bit of white.

when the driving lamp went on my Volvo as I was going along a bumpy bit of the north Circular I just drove to the nearest Halfrauds 2 miles down the road and bought new lamps . the lamp removed that did work got put into the old package and put into the glove box.

maybe we could learn from the frogs - Lamp kit required in the car so no excuse.

 

[Doc333]

Forger you're a bit of an arse and no point in discussing anything with you I'm afraid. Much more serious news around that deserves attention, not this stupid headline grabbing stunt of yours. Far be it from me to be fully conversant and informed in a line of business that I had no experience of ...... unlike you.

 

[Brandane]

Nobody said that. Don't make up stuff that nobody's said.

You're credibility just crashed and burned AFAIC. You made that statement in reply to Beano's reply that.....

As mentioned it was the rather crass generalisation of the OP that annoyed me. My Dad is a lorry driver, I was a lorry driver, I've worked with many truckers and having it said that we all partake in illegal behaviour ****es me off.

Now take a look at the title of your thread. Nobody said that? Give me strength.

 

[theclaud]

The people who have killed people are responsible.
Those with a clean sheet are responsible to keep it that way.

Who are the people that are doing the killing, and who are the people that are being killed? Who are the people that are at risk of killing others? It might help you to understand better if you use the words "pedestrians", "cyclists" and "lorry drivers" in your answer.