Vehicle safety campaign sees crime crackdown on West Midlands roads
The Road Harm Prevention team at West Midlands Police have been kept busy in the new year as it takes part in a commercial vehicle safety campaign.
The Road Harm Prevention Team and Commercial Vehicle Unit were out on Monday in the Quinton area, stopping twelve vehicles along the M5 and surrounding roads, including the A456 (Quinton Expressway), A459 (Halesowen Road) and A457 (Summer Row).
The activity was part of a national commercial vehicle campaign led by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) that runs until Sunday, February 8 and saw drivers reported for several offences including overweight vehicles, no tax, faulty lights and illegal window tints.
A man was also arrested on suspicion of immigration offences after officers caught him driving along the Quinton Expressway in a vehicle that had no insurance and was heavily overloaded, while several drivers were reported for insecure loads, where work equipment and ladders hadn’t been tied down properly.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "It’s been a busy start to the year for our Road Harm Prevention Team and Commercial Vehicle Unit as they’ve been out across the region checking that commercial and trade vehicles are operating safely and legally.
"We know that the vast majority of businesses and tradespeople take great pride in their work, but a heavy lorry with an insecure load or a van with faulty breaks can have devastating consequences for other motorists and pedestrians, which is why these regular operations are so important.
"Working with our partners including the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) and local licensing officers, we’re taking direct action to make our roads safer and save lives.
"We’ll be out running more of these operations over the coming weeks, so please make sure your vehicle is roadworthy and your load is secure before you head out on a job."
