Missing wheel could have been a ‘catastrophe’
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VOSA SAYS a Romanian driver transporting chemicals could have caused a “catastrophic accident” after losing a wheel and then continuing his journey.
Oficers stopped the vehicle on the M6 near Sandbach on 27 June at 9pm, travelling south from Holyhead on its way to Ploiesti, Romania, via Dover. The wheel, brake disc, nuts, studs and parts of the hub were missing.
According to Vosa, the vehicle was fully laden with a concentrate widely used in the drinks industry, which can be very corrosive in the concentrated form that it was being transported in.
The driver, who told Vosa oficers he had felt a “vibration” driving without the wheel, was issued with a ixed penalty and prevented from carrying on with his journey. David Collings, Vosa area manager for North Wales, says the wheel had detached somewhere between Holyhead and Sandbach.
He explains: “This shockingly defective vehicle could have caused a catastrophic accident. It could have resulted in serious injury and loss of life, and also major disruption to the road network.
“These are heavy chunks of solid metal that could have caused serious damage to other road users.
“Vosa’s number one priority is road safety and we are doing everything we can to take dangerous vehicles and drivers off the roads.”