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Traf-fic Commissioners regard speeding by HGVs and PSVs as a serious matter. It is increasingly common for operators to be called to public inquiries solely because of alleged speeding.
With continuous licensing now a fact of life, operators can tend to forget undertakings they gave when they originally obtained their Operator's Licences. They agreed that: "I will make proper arrangements so that vehicles will operate within the speed limits." That undertaking is on every application form for an Operator's Licence. Even a cursory examination of tachographs will show whether drivers have been breaking speed limits. Flagrant and continuous speeding by drivers can result in disciplinary action being taken against the Operator's Licence.
Vehicles with speed limiters have a maxi
mum speed of 56mph or 60mph. Breaking that speed limit indicates not only speeding but a possible interference with the speed limiter. Operators are also expected to look at the speeds of vehicles immediately after leaving operating centres. Many operating centres are in areas of 30mph and 40mph speed limits. When checking tachographs operators should be particularly aware of those speed limits and must be prepared to discipline drivers who speed.
Any HGV or PSV driver who exceeds the speed limit in his commercial vehicle is risking a double penally. Traffic Commissioners take a serious view of drivers who continually speed. The tachograph will reveal fairly clearly whether a driver has been exceeding the speed limit. Traffic Commissioners have increasingly been calling drivers to public inquiry where there is clear evidence of speeding from an examination of the tachographs. The Vehicle Inspectorate will report speeding to Traffic Commissioners if it has conducted a tachograph analysis.
It is not uncommon for Traffic Commissioners to suspend the driver's vocational licence, sometimes for a period of weeks, even on a first appearance for speeding allegations.
In addition to action by the Traffic Commissioner, the driver faces prosecution by the court if a driver exceeds the speed limit in a commercial vehicle he can be given a fixed penalty ticket—but he faces a real possibility of a summons in a magistrates' court.
On a fixed penalty ticket the driver's licence will be endorsed with three penalty points automatically. If the matter proceeds to the magistrates' court, however, the magistrates can impose more points, depending on the alleged speed. The penalty points can range From three to six.
Any driver of a commercial vehicle can expect magistrates to impose higher penalty points than fora driver speeding in a car.