VEHICLE WEIGHING 0 niy an authorised person can require a
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vehicle to be weighed and they are police, people authorised by a highway authority (usually Trading Standards officials) and VI examiners. The power, in Section 78 of the Act, is subject to the person producing his authority at the time of the request. Consequently, even police in uniform must produce their written authority to require the vehicle to be weighed.
The driver can be directed to any weighbridge regardless of how far away it is, But if the distance is more than five miles and the vehicle is not overweight, the highway authority must pay for any loss suffered by the driver and operator. If a dynamic axle-weighing machine is used the driver of the vehicle must drive over the machine in accordance with directions given by the person doing the weighing. When a vehicle has been weighed the driver must be given a certificate of weight whether the vehicle is overloaded or not. The certificate exempts the vehicle from being weighed again on the same journey with the same load.
A person in charge of a vehicle cornmits an offence if lie refuses or fails to comply with a weighing requirement or is he obstructs an authorised person weighing the vehicle.
Whenever a vehicle is weighed the driver should keep a note of how the weighing was done because, if found to be overweight, it might be that the person doing the weighing did not Follow the correct code of practice for enforcement weighing (see CM Driver's Guide 21-27 October).