Driver made to park up and fined
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A driver forced to park up by a traffic examiner using new powers has been fined £250 with £85 casts for falsifying his tachograph record.
Prosecuting for the Vehicle Inspectorate, John Heaton told the Leyland magistrates that a 38-tonne artic belonging to Polar International Freight of Dundalk, and driven by Paul Rodgers of Preston, was stopped in a check at Salmesbury at 23:20hrs on 23 March.
When Rodgers produced his current tachograph chart for a traffic examiner he admitted winding the clock forward to make it appear that he had taken sufficient daily rest. He said he had started driving at 02:15hrs that day.
The actual hours driven were not excessive, said Heaton, but Rodgers was driving long after he should have taken a daily rest period at 18:40 hours.
"He was still at the wheel not far short of 24 hours since the time when he first started his duty," said Heaton. 'That is extremely dangerous in road safety terms."
A prohibition was issued at 23:55hrs requiring Rodgers to take a daily rest until 08:55hrs the following morning.
Rodgers said he had been messed about a lot that day, but admitted that he was tired and not thinking straight.
He said he had been working away for three weeks and was desperate to see his family. He realised that what he had done was dangerous and admitted the offence straight away, even before the examiner looked at his chart Fining Rodgers, the magistrates said that it was a very serious offence which had been a deliberate act and the defendant had been fully aware of the consequences.