Suspension for Brake Defects
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AROAD haulier who said that one of his vehicles was found to be defective during a maintenance blitz" in the Exeter area in September had the licence suspended for 14 days by the South Western Licensing Authority on Tuesday.
The L.A., Mr. J. R. C. Samuel-Gibbon, told the haulier, Mr. E. R. Hodge, of Bridport, Dorset: It is perhaps only by the grace of God that your vehicle did not kill or maim one or more people."
Agreeing with the L.A. that one of his two lorries came under the " blitz " carried out by Ministry of Transport inspectors on September 22, Mr. Hodge said that he and the driver concerned knew that the maintenance check was to be carried out on that day.
" Yet that vehicle went out on the road with its handbrake disconnected and the footbrake ineffective ", said Mr. SamuelGibbon. "Can you imagine two more dangerous defects when taken in combination?" Mr. Hodge replied that he was told that the footbrake was all right, The L.A.: "You did not challenge the finding that the footbrake was ineffective. Who said it was in order?"
Mr. Hodge: "One of my drivers. I drove the lorry at the beginning of September and the brakes were in perfect order then."
Replying to Mr. A. J. McGahey, his solicitor, Mr. Hodge said that he had been in the road haulage business for about 10 years without an accident or any complaint about his operations.