Curtainsiders targeted in DVSA enforcement drive
Operators in Staffordshire were recently subject to a week of enforcement action by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency. Curtain-sided lorries were the target of the operation, which saw 37 vehicles inspected.
Three of these were removed from the road immediately owing to loads not being properly secured or even restrained at all; and overall, DVSA examiners issued 20 immediate and seven delayed prohibitions.
The agency warned that, unlike box-sided vehicles, truck curtains are not designed to secure loads, meaning that secure restraint is vital to prevent the movement of cargo – which in serious cases, can lead to loss of life.
DVSA advised that in most cases, loads must be secured using a suitable system such as lashing straps – though, “the exception to curtain-sided vehicles needing additional load securing mechanisms is when the whole vehicle is constructed to a higher standard, often referred to an XL vehicle. Where the load in these vehicles fills the entire loading area no additional security is required.”
The agency cited one serious case of a rigid curtain-sided lorry fully laden with building supplies.
“The driver thought the curtains were load securing and didn’t use any restraining methods on them,” said DVSA.
“There was a real risk that this load could have shifted and affected the stability of the vehicle. It could have caused the vehicle to topple over on the highway or even cause a collision.”
Agency examiners also stopped a lorry loaded with 7.7 tonnes of machinery on a trailer, and were: “horrified to find it wasn’t secured to the bed of the trailer meaning it could have shifted at any moment.”
On another trailer, a number of brake-related defects were uncovered and, when subject to a rolling road brake test, it was confirmed that the service brakes on all three axles did not work. A tyre on the trailer was also showing sidewall damage, and the dangerous vehicle was taken off the road until all defects were resolved.
However, DVSA reported that the majority of the vehicles inspected were carrying their loads safely, and examiners provided best-practice advice to other vehicles’ drivers, including emphasising their responsibilities as regards load security. The agency stressed that, with the recent update to the categorisation of defects, operators and drivers should ensure they were compliant.
“Operators and drivers of HGVs have a duty to make sure their lorries are safe and all loads are transported securely,” said DVSA’s director of enforcement, Marian Kitson.
“While most in the vehicle industry follow the rules, DVSA won’t hesitate in taking action against operators whose negligence endangers lives.”
