Over 150 commercial vehicles stopped by police during week of action to boost safety with over 350 offences

Officers from Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police Joint Operations Unit carried out checks on the A34 between Winchester and Bicester from July 18-22.

Officers stopped 151 vehicles during the week with 30 vehicles deemed safe.

But police found a total of 358 offences with 23 vehicles found to be unsafe due to poor load securing.

Officers also found 48 mechanical faults, such as issues with tyres, brakes and lights. Seventeen vehicles were deemed unsafe due to insufficient views in their mirrors.

Other offences included HGVs travelling where prohibited and use of red diesel as road fuel.

Four HGV drivers and one coach driver were found to have manipulated their tachograph records in order to drive beyond the prescribed limits. They were reported for summons and referred to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Traffic Commissioner for follow up action with their employers.

The week of action, co-ordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), saw officers working with partners from the (DVSA), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Office of the Traffic Commissioner.

Sergeant Paul Diamond, from the Commercial Vehicle Unit, said: ‘Examining commercial vehicles is business as usual for roads policing but weeks of co-ordinated action give us an opportunity to target specific offenders, obtain data on wider patterns of risk and to police whole roads instead of just the junctions on our area.

‘During this operation we were able to target vehicles which we believed were likely to be driven unlawfully. Once stopped we examined the vehicles and counted all the infringements, which are reflected in the statistics.

‘We then spoke with each of the drivers about the risks they were posing to themselves and other road users by not maintaining, or driving, their vehicles in a lawful way.

‘We issued a number of tickets and the vehicles were prohibited until the issues were corrected. These types of vehicles are driven regularly and often for long periods and across long distances; it is important they are maintained and driven safely to protect everyone on the roads.’

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He added: ‘Operations like this allow us to target those who do not meet the standards required.’