Weight code slammed
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• A proposed code of practice for portable weighpads used in enforcement could lead to weight errors of 25%, the Road Haulage Association has warned.
The code, which is due to be published in the autumn, allows site slope tolerances that could result in inaccurate weight readings, says the RHA.
The Freight Transport Association has also expressed concern about the accuracy of the proposed system.
Local Authorities Co-ordinating Body on Trading Standards (Lacots), has prepared the new regulations in collaboration with the the Department of Transport and the police.
The draft has been sent to the trade associations for comment and recommends that the ground on which the pads sit should not vary by more than 2% over 5m, and the slope between the right and left wheels should be no more than 4%.
But that is the equivalent of having a 4in house brick under one of the wheels and could produce serious discrepancies, says Ron Rider, the FTA's head of vehicle engineering.
He says the FTA would like to be involved in full trials of the equipment under conditions recommended in the code before