Aliens fined for defective steering
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T. A. ALLEN (Transport) Ltd, trading as Aliens Transport Services, Manchester, pleaded not guilty before Ross-on-Wye magistrates last week to summonses alleging use of a vehicle with defective brakes and steering.
The prosecution, by the DoE, followed an accident in which one of the company's vehicles was involved on A40.
A vehicle examiner told the court that when he inspected the vehicle he found its brakes defective because of a hole in the air-delivery pipe from the compressor. The steering was defective because some of the bolts on the offside steering arm had sheared.
The defence produced the air-delivery pipe and the examiner agreed he was unable to test the brakes as it was not possible to charge the reservoir; and that if the reservoir could not be charged with the engine running there must have been a substantial hole in the brake system. He did not examine the pipe to see where the hole was. There was a strong possibility the damage could have resulted from the accident.
Mr R. Calverley, a consulting engineer and assessor, said he had examined the vehicle and caused the fitter to remove the pipe produced. There was a substantial hole and it was his opinion the damage was caused in the accident. It was not possible to drive the vehicle with such a major defect in the braking system because of safety devices.
Questioned about the steering gear, Mr Calverley said he did find some movement in it.
A representative of Trafford Vehicle Services Ltd said the company was responsible for maintaining Allen's vehicles. The vehicle in question had passed the MoT test a few weeks before the accident and at that time there was no defect in the steering gear. Since the test the vehicle had been seen twice and on each occasion they were asked to check for steering defects, which was done.
The defence submitted that there was no evidence that the brakes were defective before the accident. So far as the steering was concerned the company should not be criticised if the court was satisfied that it had taken adequate steps to ensure the vehicle was properly maintained.
The magistrates dismissed the brakes charge but fined the company £50 for defective steering.