DVSA action day finds 1 in 10 vehicles with ‘most dangerous’ issues

The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) organised a coordinated day of commercial vehicle enforcement action last month, targeting high-risk vehicles across Great Britain in partnership with National Highways and police forces.

The joint enforcement effort on Thursday 29 September – which saw more than 400 HGVs and over 100 lighter commercials inspected – found that one in 10 vehicles were afflicted by “the most dangerous” mechanical issues, including problems with brakes, steering, suspension, tyres and wheels that affected driver control and could have led to serious incidents.

The enforcement teams immediately removed offending vehicles from the road. A total of 150 prohibitions were issued during the operation, and 83 deliberate or negligent traffic offences were recorded – including document falsification, licence issues, lack of operator licence, and infractions involving drivers’ hours or overloading.

While acknowledging the safe and legal operating standards of the majority in the sector, DVSA said the enforcement day had highlighted a “concerning number” of operators posing a serious risk to road users, and emphasised the legal and road safety implications, as well as the unfair commercial advantages reaped by those found to be cutting corners.

Marian Kitson, DVSA director of enforcement, said: “We are delighted to work with road safety partners to ensure HGVs and drivers are safe to be on the road.

“The results of this operation serve as a reminder of the risks associated with cutting corners on road safety.

“DVSA is here to support those who operate safely and legal and we want to ensure they are not disadvantaged by dangerous and reckless road users.”

Commander Kyle Gordon of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) added: “By breaking the law to seek a commercial advantage, a small minority of drivers and operators are endangering people’s lives.

“Often the sheer size and weight of some of these larger vehicles means any collision they are involved with has even more potential to leave families and communities devastated.

“We really welcome the opportunity to identify those drivers who would put themselves and others at that risk, which is totally unacceptable.

“Working in partnership also enables us to work more efficiently in taking action against dangerous operators, helping make our roads even safer.”

Mark Cartwright, head of commercial vehicle incident prevention at National Highways, said: “We all need to play our part to ensure everyone gets home safe and well.

“We recognise that the majority of drivers and operators abide by the law but a small minority do not.

“By working together with our road safety partners, we are spreading the message that those who put themselves and others at risk can expect to be caught.”