Unsafe vehicles had better beware

Date published: 22 July 2019


Vehicle operators and drivers of goods vehicles are being reminded of the importance of transporting dangerous goods safely and load security ahead of a week-long national enforcement campaign that started today (Monday).

Co-ordinated by the National Police Chiefs' Council, the campaign aims to highlight the risks both to drivers and other road users if goods aren’t transported properly.

Greater Manchester Police will be carrying out proactive enforcement to identify unsafe vehicles and take appropriate action to keep the roads safe.

Dangerous goods are items or material that can pose a risk to people, animals, or the environment if not properly handled in use or during transport.

They include goods that can easily catch fire, are corrosive, or are radioactive. It’s very important that dangerous goods are packaged properly, loaded and secured to stop them moving around inside the vehicle, and that the vehicle carries safety equipment, has identifying markings to show that it is carrying dangerous goods, and is driven by a driver trained to deal with dangerous goods.

It is essential that, whatever load is being carried, it is secured properly on the vehicle.

If loads are not secured, they can fall from the vehicle on the road, or move so much they make the vehicle unstable.

Unstable loads can also fall out of or off the vehicle when it arrives for unloading.

While drivers are responsible for the safety of their vehicle on the road, consignors and vehicle operators are also responsible for ensuring that the load a vehicle carries is safe and secure from the point of loading right through to unloading.

Sergeant Paul Lenarcic of GMP’s Safer Roads Targeting Team said: “As traffic officers we are always on the lookout for drivers who don’t properly secure the goods they are carrying.

"This campaign is to highlight the consequences of insecure loads and how this can impact other road users."

Lee Webb, Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency National Enforcement Delivery Manager, said: “DVSA’s priority is to protect everyone from unsafe drivers and vehicles."

For more information on load security, see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/load-securing-vehicle-operator-guidance/load-securing-vehicle-operator-guidance


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