Commercial Vehicle Unit crackdown on dangerous driving in HGV operation
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Cheshire Constabulary’s Commercial Vehicle Unit have been tackling dangerous driving as part of an operation focusing on keeping our county’s roads safe.
The operation, known as "Operation Rule”, was launched by Sussex Police following the tragic death of an 11-year-old boy named Harry Dennis.
Harry suffered fatal injuries after a scaffolding plank went through the windscreen of his family’s car. The plank had been improperly secured to a van travelling in front of Harry and his family.
The operation has since been embraced by a number of forces in a bid to improve safety for all road users and identify any offences committed by drivers.
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The multi-agency day of action took place on Friday 6 September on the M6 at Sandbach and involved Cheshire Police’s Commercial Vehicle Unit, the Roads and Crime Unit, Merseyside Police, Health and Safety Executive, and the DVSA, to monitor motorists on the M6.
As a result of the operation, officers stopped a total of 31 vehicles and issued a number of tickets for a variety of offences which included insecure loads and excess weight – of note this included ladders, wheelbarrows, pipes and cement mixers. The team stopped vehicles registered in the UK and foreign registered HGVs during the day of action, as well as a number of light goods vehicles. 45% of all vehicles stopped were non-compliant with the law.
One driver was also arrested on suspicion of drink driving offences.
Chief Inspector John Forshaw of Cheshire’s Roads and Crime Unit said:
“This operation was launched on some of Cheshire's busiest motorways with the intention of observing and ensuring drivers travel safety through our Cheshire community.
“However, it was really disappointing to see how many vehicles were non-compliant with the law, which highlights just how important these days of action are in keeping our roads safe.
“As we’ve seen in cases like Harry’s, insecure loads can bring utter devastation and this negligence will not be tolerated.
"We will continue to do all we can to encourage road users to drive safely and I hope the operation sends a strong message that we will not hesitate to act against those individuals set on flouting the rules of the road and who think the law doesn’t apply to them.”