Driver skimped on rest and fiddled tachograph charts
Page 16
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The falsification of a tachograph and taking Insufficient daily rest cost Lanark driver William Gibson £350 in fines and costs when he appeared before magis trates in South Staffordshire. Prosecuting for the Vehicle Inspectorate, David James said that a rigid vehicle belonging to Lesmahagow-based Frames and driven by Gibson, was directed into the Doxey check site on the M6 in March.
An examination of the three tachograph records produced by Gibson, who was returning to base from Leatherhead, Surrey, revealed apparent infringements.
The record for the day of the check had started when the vehicle was travelling at 100km/h—a distance of 255km was not recorded and Gibson had taken only Shr 20min rest.
Gibson, who admitted the offences, said the tachograph starting when a vehicle was travelling at speed was quite a common occurrence. Sometimes the tachograph did not start when driving began so he opened and shut it again, by which time the vehicle was moving.
If he was going to falsify the chart he would have done so to show eight hours' rest rather than fihr 20min. He had held an HGV driving licence for 30 years and had never before committed any record keeping offence.
The magistrates fined Gibson E100 per offence with £150 costs.