The Persecution of Drivers
Page 45
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Trenchant Opinions on an Important Subject that is of Vital Moment to the Industry AS a motor engineer, I naturally come into contact with owners and drivers of commercial vehicles, and I must state that I am disgusted with the treatment meted out to them through this " persecution " by the police, apart from the difficulties caused by the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933.
I must congratulate you on your straightforward articles on the above matter in your recent issues, and it pleased me to note that the daily Press has taken the matter up.
Mr. Bevin's reply, which appeared in certain daily papers, to my way of thinking, seems very weak. He has veered off the course, and blames other sources of trouble as being the cause of his inability to take up this matter. Drivers and employers do not wish to be defended at court so much as they require to be protected from being brought there on unreasonable grounds.
I am therefore afraid that little help will be coming fronLthat quarter, but now that you have started the ball rolling, I suggest that it is time for both owners and drivers to mike a great concerted effort by asking their local Members of Parliament what they intend doing in the matter, especially in view of the fact that there is already some talk of an election.
I would also like to point out that some drivers are inclined to be "satisfied with the world," now that there has been a rise in wages and reduction in hours, but this will be short lived if they do not help their employers to get over the enormous difficulties with which they have to contend. They may even be forced to join those unfortunate people who are without work to-day. MAURICE A. ANGELL, London, W.C.1. For ANGELL MOTOR SERVICES.
I WOULD like to sympathize very much with Mr. Louis 1 de Silva when he states the case of one of his men beitg fined 25 for overtaking a tramcar.
I have an instance of one of my drivers, who has been in my employ for eight years and has never had an accident of any description, who had a daily run on the Portsmouth Road with a 5-ton vehicle, with a speed limit of 20 m.p.h. The police followed this man every working day for six months in an endeavour to trap him for speeding. One day, unfortunately, he did not have his mate with him, and they prosecuted him for doing 24 m.p.h. He was fined 24 10s. and costs and his licence was endorsed.
This happened three years ago. The same driver was coming back from Bristol. last year, at 1 a.m, on an empty road, when a mobile police car came past, stopped him, examined his licence, the insurance certificate and the Road Fund licence on the vehicle, but made no comment about exceeding the speed limit. Shortly after he received a summons, and when the case was heard at Marlborough he was accused of doing 26 m.p.h. On this occasion he was fined £4 and costs, whilst his licence was again endorsed.
You can imagine the feelings of this driver when pursuing his daily duties. He knows that if he be trapped for doing only one mile over the limit and his licence be again endorsed, he will lose it for three months. In addition, he is a married man with five children, and a most conscientious worker.
I am exercising my mind as to what we, as a corn-. pany, can do for him if he be forced on to the dole for this long period. He has already suffered hardship in having to keep his family while paying these excessive fines. I say excessive, because every day I read of private motorists who, found under the influence of drink while in charge of a vehicle, are fined little more than a driver who has merely exceeded the legal speed limit by a mile or two ; and they call this British justice!
London, E.C.3. ALLAN SIMPSON, Director, Allan Simpson, Ltd.
/OUR articles on the persecution of drivers have been I read by me with great interest, and I enclose some correspondence from my files relating to cases in which my driver—a most careful man who has never had an accident or even dented a wing during his three years in my employ—has been fined, despite strong evidence in his favour.
In one instance he was driving my Commer 3-tonner out of a yard, waited for a bus to pass and continued. A car driver then tried to cut in and pass, but could not, so braked and pulled in behind my van. There was no collision ; in fact, my driver knew nothing about the affair until he was chased by the mobile police. Moreover, the car driver concerned did not bring any charge, and the police sergeant admitted in his evidence that my man used caution in coming on to the main road.
The " offence " was committed on October 29, 1934, and the case heard on January 11 this year. I paid the fine, but I am sick of this persecution of good and careful men.
I am glad that you are voicing this matter, as drivers do not get justice, and so long as magisterial benches are filled by old fogeys who do not know anything about the work of a driver and his difficulties, they never will. There should be special magistrates to deal with motoring offences, and they should be experts in the laws con cerned. F. R. RAINBOW. Oxford.
YOUR campaign on behalf of drivers of commercial vehicles will be appreciated by everyone associated with the haulage industry, and the question is one of importance not only to the drivers themselves but to all employers.
It does not seem to be appreciated by magistrates that it is impossible for a driver to control his vehicle with safety under present-day road conditions and, at the same time, carefully watch the speedometer. Without constantly observing this instrument, it is impossible to judge accurately a difference of speed of, say, 2 m.p.h. or 3 m.p.h., and it is on such excesses of the limit that many drivers are being caught by police cars which have an observer carefully to watch the speedometer while the driver gets on with his job.
The fines inflicted for this minor offence are, in many cases, out of all proportion to the nature of the "crime,"
and strong action is long overdue. K. L. JAMES. London.