Clampdown on lorries after rise in road smashes
A NEW police unit set up to enforce checks on commercial vehicles will be piloted for six months.
The Commercial Vehicle Unit (CVU) has been created in response to a 20 per cent increase in commercial vehicle casualties between 2013 and 2015.
The team will be made up of four specialist officers in the area and a dedicated Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) vehicle examiner.
Greater Manchester Police, Cheshire, Merseyside and the Port of Liverpool police have joined forces, with support from the DVSA and Highways England, to find dangerous vehicles on roads in the north west.
Data shows HGVs have been involved in more than 50pc of collisions on the region’s roads, with busy routes and motorways often forced to close for more than five hours.
Most vehicle checks take place during daylight hours, but the new unit will work throughout all times to target vehicles, which are driven at night and avoid the usual checks. Insp Neil Anson, of Cheshire Constabulary, said: “Crashes involving large commercial vehicles are more likely to cause serious consequences. “We want to make the roads in the north west safer and by creating a dedicated unit to tackle this issue we hope to reduce the number of deaths on the road caused by drivers Steve Brougham, enforcement delivery manager, DVSA who are not maintaining their vehicles properly, or by driving beyond the number of hours they are supposed to.”
DVSA enforcement delivery manager, Steve Brougham, said: “DVSA is committed to protecting you from unsafe drivers and vehicles.
“There’s no excuse for driving tired, with mechanical defects or with an overweight or unstable load.
“Those on the roads in the north west who break the rules are putting themselves and others at risk.
“Working alongside our colleagues in the police we’ll crack down on rogue drivers and operators, making our roads safer for all.”