AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

IC warns of fatal fatigue

19th September 1996
Page 22
Page 22, 19th September 1996 — IC warns of fatal fatigue
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• West Midland Deputy Traffic Commissioner Alan Bourlet warns that too many deaths are being caused by trucks running into other vehicles on the hard shoulders of motorways because their drivers have driven excess hours and are dangerously tired.

At a Birmingham disciplinary inquiry Bourlet issued

Bridgm( a-th-based Peter G Bowker and

nine of its dri vers with warnings about hours offences.

The nine drivers had been fined for a number of driver's hours offences by the Bridgnorth Magistrates in March, and the company's managing director Peter Bowker was given a sixmonth conditional discharge after admitting failing to produce documents to a traffic examiner (CM 21-27 March and 6-12 June).

Bourlet said he had seriously considered suspending the drivers' LGV licences to indicate the great concern he felt about this type of offence. In recent weeks there had been two deaths on motorways in the West Midlands

when LGVs ploughed into vehicles on the hard shoulder.

Michael Carless, for the company and its drivers, told the inquiry that when a number of tachograph charts were produced at the request of two traffic examiners, problems were found. As a result the examiners requested the production of further charts and other documents.

Carless explained that Bowker had been advised by a former DOT enforcement manager not to produce those documents, and that the drivers should not say anything.

That was unfortunate advice, said Carless, as co-operation would have shown that the offences were minor and the mitigating circumstances would probably have led to no action being taken.


comments powered by Disqus