Commercial vehicle day of action aims to improve safety on the county’s roads

A variety of vehicle defects and driving offences were detected as part of a multi-agency day of action to improve road safety held last month (May).

Led by Northamptonshire Police’s Forensic Collision Investigation Unit, they were supported by the Roads Policing, Safer Roads, Rural Crime, and Response teams on the day.

Partners from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) also joined the enforcement day on May 13, which targeted commercial vehicles being driven on the county’s major road network illegally or irresponsibly.

Throughout the day, officers in marked police cars intercepted drivers as they travelled along the A14 and escorted them to a check site at Rothwell Truck Stop, where checks for offences were conducted.

Officers dealt with 23 vehicles committing a range of offences during the day, including five insecure/security load issues, four tyre/wheel defects, one tachograph defect and one power steering fault.

Seven drivers were reported for driver hours offences, three for having no insurance, one for no tax and one for holding no licence. While of the three ADR (dangerous goods) loads checked – one had a documentation issues, and one had a specialist advice number issue.

Sergeant Ollie Randall of the Northamptonshire Police Forensic Collision Investigation Unit said: “Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and it is disappointing that we still find commercial vehicles using our major road network in an unroadworthy condition.

“With the support from our partners, we will continue to hold these days of action to ensure that everyone gets home safely, and that people using our roads are doing so both legally and responsibly.”

Anyone with information about road safety concerns or any vehicle crime is asked to report it online at www.northants.police.uk/reportonline or call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Always call 999 in the event of an emergency, such as a crime in progress or where life is at risk.