Home / News / NPCC: COMMERICAL VEHICLE FOCUS – JULY 2023

NPCC: COMMERICAL VEHICLE FOCUS – JULY 2023

Posted on Friday 21st July 2023 in Drivers, Education and Training, News, Speed

Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP) is supporting a nationwide enforcement campaign focusing on dangerously driven commercial vehicles, to improve compliance, reducing the number of incidents caused by unsafe driver behaviour on the road network.

Commercial Vehicle Week is led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and runs from Monday 17 July to Sunday 23 July.

As part of the operation officers from SSRP’s Casualty Reduction Team, Safety Camera Team, and Programme Delivery has been out in support. Working with Partners we can develop specialist knowledge surrounding professional drivers using our road networks. Working collaboratively, in a highly visible and co-ordinated manner, with Sussex Police’s Commercial Vehicle Unit (CVU) and Driver Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) working to remove the dangers posed by unlawful commercial vehicles. This week not only focuses on education and enforcement but support for the legitimate industry professionals who work within this area of business and lead by example.

Concentrating on offences committed by all manner of commercial drivers, including those of lorries, vans, buses, plant vehicles, agricultural machinery, and taxis – checks were conducted pan-Sussex.

As always, drivers committing fatal five offences will be targeted (careless driving, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, excessive speed, and distracted driving, including mobile phone use), but with commercial vehicles, there is a whole raft of other potential offences, including exceeding driver hours, insecure loads, overweight vehicles and dangerous loads. The operation also provides opportunities to disrupt anyone using the road network for criminal purposes.

Inspector Matt Wightwick of the Roads Policing Unit said:

“The week commencing 17th July saw the start of the Commercial Week. Officers from Sussex and Surrey Police’s Commercial Vehicle Unit have been at various locations throughout the week and have dealt with a significant number of offences that have been identified as part of this national week of action. They have been joined by colleagues from the Road Policing Unit, Sussex Safer Roads Partnerships, Casualty Reduction officers, and Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

The Commercial Vehicle Unit started this week of action at Junction 9 on the M25 with colleagues from the DVSA. A number of offences – ranging from insecure loads, overweight, and document offences – were identified leading to fixed penalty notices being issued and, in one instance, a vehicle being prohibited until the load it was carrying was secured properly.

Enforcement action has subsequently taken place on the A21 in East Sussex and Handcross in West Sussex. Enforcement action on the A21 resulted in seven further vehicles being prohibited owing to vehicles being over-laden or being used in an unroadworthy condition.

In addition to this, officers have also concentrated on ‘fatal five offences’ that have been committed by the drivers of commercial vehicles. A significant amount of drivers have been dealt with for not wearing seatbelts, driving at excess speed for the type of vehicle and using mobile phones.”