The DVSA has changed its roadside checks strategy as of Monday 5 March 2018, DVSA traffic examiners will start issuing on-the-spot fines for any truck driver’s hours offenses committed in the last 28 days.
Roadside Checks
From Monday 5th March 2018, DVSA traffic examiners started issuing on-the-spot fines for any drivers’ hours offenses committed in the last 28 days.
In a single roadside check, DVSA traffic examiners will issue fines for up to 5 driver’s hour’s offenses. It means you could be fined up to £1,500 in a single check if you’ve consistently broken the rules.
Truck Drivers will be fined for older offenses
Truck drivers who have up to 5 offenses will be instantly fined, It won’t matter if any truck driving offense took place in Great Britain or elsewhere.
The rules will also apply to drivers who don’t live in Great Britain.
However, fines will be issued and must be paid immediately, before being allowed to continue their journey.
DVSA will immobilise any vehicles until the fine has been paid.
Fines to deter drivers from not resting properly
As well as giving fines to drivers for recent offenses, DVSA traffic examiners have started issuing fines to deal with drivers who don’t properly rest.
Lorry, bus, and coach drivers must take a 45-hour rest break at least every fortnight.
Since 1 November 2017, DVSA has started to fine drivers up to £300 if they spend their full weekly rest break in their vehicle in places where it causes a problem.
For example, if a lorry driver spends their full break in the cab of their lorry is in a layby.
Illegal Truck Parking Noise and Litter
Spending the weekly rest break in the cab can according to the DVSA, contribute to drivers not properly resting, and expose drivers to poor living conditions.
This type of parking can also cause problems in local communities.
In some areas, lorry drivers have parked illegally or inappropriately while taking the 45-hour weekly rest break, and have caused residents to complain about noise, litter, and anti-social behavior.
During 2016, authorities in Kent took action against 3,700 lorry drivers for parking illegally or inappropriately.
DVSA Targeting Problem Areas
DVSA traffic examiners will target places where this is causing the biggest problems, such as residential areas and laybys.
DVSA will also work with its counterparts in other countries to deal with overseas operators whose drivers regularly do this.
BE WARNED THE DVSA ARE ON THE WARPATH!
In my opinion as a lorry driver, there are not enough places to park a truck in many areas of the country, and this needs to be looked at, how many times do we go past a layby close to our driving hours to see it coned off “layby closed” because of roadworks or other issues.
When truck drivers finally find somewhere to park up for a break, so that we don’t break the tacho laws, there are no facilities for us to use, no toilets, no bins, layby’s too narrow.
Truckers even find parking in motorway services has become harder to find a space as the parking is usually full.
When parking a truck in motorway services, we find that we need to park much earlier as the service areas do not have large enough parking areas for trucks, and find they are full to capacity as early as 5.00 pm.
Parking your truck in a lay-by in certain parts of the country can come with risks, so always ensure your safety when parking your truck overnight – Safety Parking your truck in a lay-by.
We all do our best to comply with the laws but sometimes it is very difficult with the current amount of parking facilities available.
Conclusion
The roadside checks strategy by the DVSA is in place from the 5th of March 2018.
Drivers with any offenses will be fined on the spot, and have to pay immediately or have their truck immobilised until payment is made.
The DVSA is targeting residential parking areas, where there have been many complaints.
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