German driver fined
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• A West German driver who admitted driving with an overlength drawbar combination for almost 35 hours without proper rest, has been fined £500 with £12 costs.
Selby magistrates were told that Ernst Wied had been stopped by police on 9 April, driving a two-axle rigid with a twoaxle drawbar combination. When measured it was found to be 18.4 metres long — 40cm more than the permitted length.
When he produced tachograph charts they showed he had driven for 34 hours and 54 minutes without the required amount of rest. An indefinite prohibition was placed on the lorry by the Department of Transport. The defendant had stayed in York that weekend.
Through an interpreter, Wied said he had taken a twohour break twice after driving nine hours when coming into the country via Sheerness, but he knew he was allowed to do it once only in his permitted driving hours. He had special permission to use an over-length vehicle in West Germany and he had been given a piece of paper at Sheerness that seemed to imply he was exempted from the 18-metre law in this country.
The prosecution pointed out that the document referred to was irrelevant as it referred to an indivisible load, which this was not. In reply to the magistrates, Wied said he was employed by Rolf Spies of Erndtebrfick and he had been carrying dustbins on wheels for delivery to Scarborough Corporation.
The magistrates fined Wied 2200 for exceeding 10 hours driving in a day, £200 for having insufficient daily rest, and 2100 for using an overlength vehicle.