VOSA targets ‘White Van Man’

[Peter]

Taken from this months VOSA newsletter.

 

Light Goods Vehicles, often known as ‘white van man’, are involved in twice as many accidents as HGVs and has an MOT failure rate of 50%. Furthermore, in VOSA checks, light goods vehicles are prohibited six out of ten times, and when weighed, these vehicles are overweight three quarters of the time.

 

These results not only demonstrate a threat to the safety of road users, but also an unfair advantage over white van man’s HGV counterparts. That low compliance rate is even worse considering that HGVs are subjected to a significantly higher level of regulation than light goods vehicles.

 

During 2013, VOSA are conducting a targeted programme to address this situation and raise the standards of the LGV industry. The majority who try to be compliant will be offered education and advice to enable them to achieve their goal of operating safe and compliant vehicles. A mixed tactical approach will be used to address the operator who is ignorant of the requirements. They will be subject to enforcement action at compliance checks, married to the carrot of educational assistance to enable them to raise their standards. The minority who have no desire to comply will be subject to enforcement action in an effort to force compliance.

 

The first steps in this initiative will be a programme of checks in twenty cities throughout the year to raise VOSA’s profile with LGV operators in specific market sectors, and the first of these will be directed towards the building trade. This will be allied to cooperation with trade bodies and associations to convey the message that VOSA are determined to raise the standards of the LGV fleet through joint working, education, assistance, and if required, enforcement action.

[littlerob]

also vosa since this year have became self funded and not government funded means they have to make there self some cash so to speak of that's why cpc came about and these more checks more fines more money for they pot

[Peter]

VOSA have been self funded since 2009.

[ukminch]

Not necessarily a bad thing, just a shame it's such a pita to go from a 3.5t vehicle to a bigger one, when physically the vehicle can be the same size, but more legal in weight carrying context. Those statistics are a bit frightening but then again they normally stop a vehicle when they believe something will be wrong with it so not that surprising.

[Peter]

The stats are shocking. To put them in context, in the first quarter of this year VOSA stopped 32,621 HGVs, around 25% got roadworthiness prohibitions, and 3% were overloaded.

 

VOSA do some random stops, but as you say most of them (HGV and light vehicles) are stopped because they look dodgy.

[458 Lott]

I got stopped a few years ago with 43 wet turfs a 066 a 044 and a few cans of fuel I was 10percent overloaded on front axle as carting 2 staff and myself

This was in my 3 .5 iveco I sold the truck and a bought a rb44 6 tonner I don't stress now

I was always overloaded and now rarely

People just don't understand the weights you can legally carry per axle

They also don't understand the important of the right ply tyres

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

If it looks wrong, it probably is wrong... A fair mandate for life and certainly for VoSA it would seem. If it ain't road worthy, it deserves to be pulled and taken off the road - no grumbles from me! The whole 'nose weight' thing for trailers could be more simply explained / presented though! Maybe that would help people to get it right.

[PeteB]

Good post Pete. Thanks for the heads up....

[AHPP]

I got stopped a few years ago with 43 wet turfs a 066 a 044 and a few cans of fuel I was 10percent overloaded on front axle as carting 2 staff and myself

This was in my 3 .5 iveco I sold the truck and a bought a rb44 6 tonner I don't stress now

I was always overloaded and now rarely

People just don't understand the weights you can legally carry per axle

They also don't understand the important of the right ply tyres

 

Beautifully illustrates the idiocy of 3.5 tonne licenses. Someone who passed after 1997 would be compelled to keep going with the inappropriate vehicle. Everybody loses.

[treequip]

Beautifully illustrates the idiocy of 3.5 tonne licenses. Someone who passed after 1997 would be compelled to keep going with the inappropriate vehicle. Everybody loses.

 

Why is that then, aren't they allowed to do further driving tests and get a higher category licence????????????