Lethal faults more likely in lorries from abroad

FOREIGN lorries are more likely to have potentially lethal defects, the Government’s vehicle safety watchdog said yesterday.

More than one in ten lorries stopped over the past year had dangerous problems, including faulty brakes or steering.

Roadside officers from the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency randomly stopped more than 6,000 vehicles in an annual compliance check.

But while 11 per cent of British lorries were ‘mechanically defective’, the figure was 12.5 per cent for foreign lorries. The DVSA said: ‘As in most previous years non GB vehicles and drivers have higher rates of prohibition and serious offence rates than GB drivers and vehicles’.

Faulty brakes was the most common problem, with others including faults with axles, wheels, tyres and suspension, and defects in the chassis and steering. All these were serious enough to warrant being banned from the road.

It said brake defects accounted for 28 per cent of problems in British lorries, and 33 per cent in foreign lorries.

The DVSA urged drivers to check their brakes, while AA president Edmund King warned: ‘If you have a 44-tonne truck with faulty brakes or steering that really is a tragedy waiting to happen.’ DVSA chief Gareth Llewellyn added: ‘If we catch you with brakes that don’t work we will take your vehicles off the road to ensure the safety of the travelling public.’