Sussex Police clampdown on vehicles carrying dangerous goods
SUSSEX Police were involved in a day of action targeting vehicles which were carrying dangerous goods took place last week.
Sussex Police’s Road Policing Unit in conjunction with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) stopped goods vehicles across the county last week.
The operation was part of a national day of action which saw 22 vehicles stopped in Sussex, of which 13 were found have comitted offences in relation to their use.
The offences ranged from defective tyres and brakes to being overweight and not having required fire extinguishers. One vehicle was found to have an expired MOT test certificate.
A number of vehicles were immediately prohibited from moving further until the defects were rectified and other drivers and operators were reported for various offences.
Temporary Chief Inspector Phil Nicholas said: “These dangerous goods, and vehicles in which the goods were being carried, could pose a danger to other road users and pedestrians if the vehicle is involved in a collision or a spillage takes place.
“For these reasons there are regulations in place around how they can be safely transported. On Friday officers carried out this day of action enforcing the legislation to ensure the on-going safety of road users in Sussex.
“The regulations place duties upon everyone involved in the carriage of dangerous goods to ensure risk is minimised - this includes both the driver and employer.”
Advice around the responsibilities of employers and employees who drive for business is available free from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership.
Across Sussex nearly 30 per cent of all collisions which leave someone dead or seriously injured involved people who were driving for business purposes - whether in a van, HGV or running a business errand in a private car.
Legally, company owners and managers have a clear duty of care to their employees and the public - and this extends to the roads.
To help develop good road safety culture among businesses free assistance is available through the COSTS project. To find out more information visit http://www.costsproject.co.uk/
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Monday 20 May 2013
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