Warwickshire Police says it is “disappointing” to have found issues with every single vehicle it checked during a recent multi-agency operation to ensure abnormal loads were being transported safely.
Due to their size, vehicles carrying abnormal loads require a movement order to ensure the route they take is suitable. For public safety, movement orders also have restrictions on when the vehicle can travel.
During the operation, Warwickshire Police intercepted drivers travelling on the M6 and brought them into the lorry park at Corley for their vehicle to be checked by officers, along with colleagues from National Highways and the DVSA.
Police and partners found issues with every single of the vehicles that were brought into the check site, including:
- Two insecure loads
- Two drivers travelling outside the times specified in the Movement Order
- One excess speed
- Three no movement order
- Two over width when measured to movement order
As a result, five abnormal loads were prohibited from moving until such time when new movement orders could be put in place by the drivers and/or operators.
The officers also brought in HGVs and two of these were found to have insecure loads. One received a PG9 for a dangerous tyre and was prohibited from moving until this was rectified.
Inspector Dan Hicks, Warwickshire Police, said: “Whilst it was disappointing to see so many abnormal loads that are breaching the rules, this was another really productive day in terms of the number of vehicles we stopped and checked and drivers we spoke to about road safety.
“Due to the results, we are planning more abnormal loads operations at locations throughout Warwickshire including the M6 and M40, and I would urge all transport managers and drivers to ensure their loads are secured properly, and that the load has all the correct movement orders in place.”
Philip Seccombe, chair of Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership and PCC for the county, said: “These operations really expose the significant number of operators who have no respect for safety or compliance. Clearly for some, profit is more important than driver and road user safety and this is not acceptable.
“I am meeting with the Road Haulage Association and regional policy and operational roads colleagues very soon and we will share our concerns. Road safety is not an option but a basic requirement for all road users and I want to see a real commitment from the haulage industry to make improvements.”
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