Over 60 offences identified during action day

The Commercial Vehicle Unit came together last week (Wednesday 22 November) to reduce road casualties and disrupt criminality during a multi-agency action day in Great Yarmouth.

Officers from the Roads and Armed Policing Team, alongside colleagues from the Community Support Unit, were in attendance with partners from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), HMRC and DVLA tax enforcement.

The action day saw 62 vehicles, including light and heavy goods vehicles, being escorted to a designated check site in Great Yarmouth. Over 60 offences were identified with one vehicle being seized immediately for having no insurance. Only 13 vehicles left the site having committed no offences.

69 offences were identified in total including four people not wearing a seatbelt, seven using a mobile phone, 11 insecure loads, seven window tints and multiple vehicle defects. As a result, 48 Traffic Offence Reports (TOR) were issued during the operation.

The DVSA issued 10 immediate/delayed prohibitions for offences on vehicles which were so dangerous they needed immediate action. Five vehicles were also clamped by the DVLA for road tax offences.

Sgt Ade Hales of the Joint Roads and Armed Policing team said: “The multi-agency operation concentrated on all commercial vehicles, both large and small.

“It was disappointing to identity so many commercial vehicles that were overweight, which also had secondary offences identified, such as insecure loads, defective brakes and tyres either seriously under inflated or void of tread. These kinds of offences in combination can lead to serious road traffic collisions, with the implications all too obvious.

“As professional drivers, drivers of such vehicles must always ensure daily checks are completed on their vehicles before commencing a journey, and ensure their load is secure and not overweight. The safety implications for all road users is obvious, and we will not hesitate to prosecute such offences.”

Chief Inspector Vicky McParland added: “Action days like this, have the power to immediately improve the safety of road users in Norfolk. Only a small number of vehicles who were escorted to the site left without committing any offences, which is disappointing to see along with the types of offences being committed.

“Despite continued work to address the dangers of the Fatal Four (Not wearing a seatbelt, using your mobile phone, speeding and drink/drug driving), we are still seeing drivers continue to put their lives and the lives of others at risk.

“Action days provide us with the ideal opportunity to address these issues on a mass scale. We will continue to host these across the county as a part of our dedicated efforts to increase the safety of Norfolk’s roads.”