Driver fined £160 for hours offences
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• Hours offences by lorry drivers, which could affect public safety, will be viewed with much gravity by Nelson, Lanes, magistrates.
This was said by the chairman when the bench ordered a long distance lorry driver, Mr Oliver John Watson of St Mary's Street, Nelson, to pay a total of £236.50 in tines and costs, after pleading guilty to hours offences.
Mr J. S. Lawton, prosecuting for the North Western Licensing Authority, said the charges against Watson, of falsifying his records for July 6 and 7 1972; driving for more than 10 hours; having a working day in excess of 11 hours; and being on duty in excess of 5+ hours without rest; all arose as the result of inquiries following a silent check of Watson's vehicle at Carmarthen by traffic examiners.
When the defendant's records were checked, on their face they appeared to be properly made out and in order. Without the silent check there would have been no way of discovering that the law had been broken.
When interviewed, Watson admitted that although the record showed that he finished work for the day at 7.30 pm at Newcastle-under-Lyme, he was, in fact, in Carmarthen at 8.35 pm and then continued on to Hereford where he arrived at 10 pm.
In mitigation Watson told the court that he had gained nothing from the deception as he had not claimed subsistence from his employers, Norman Jowitt Ltd. He gave no other explanation for his movements.
The magistrates fined Watson £40 on each of the four charges, plus £20 advocate's fee and £16.50 witnesses' expenses.