Licensed too late for 1.5-tonner
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Though the other drivers employed by Flintshire Steel Supplies were able to drive 7.5-tonners on their car driving licences, Graham Griffiths required a Cl qualification as he had not passed his driving test until November 1998.
Appearing before Wrexham magistrates, Griffiths pleaded guilty to driving a 7.5-tonner when not qualified to do so, without insurance, and when the permitted first axle weight was exceeded. The company pleaded guilty to permitting the offences.
Traffic examiner Peter Edwards said that Griffiths' vehicle had been stopped in a roadside check at Ewloe. The first axle weight was found to exceed the 2,900kg limit by 640kg; some 22%. Further enquiries revealed that Griffiths was not licensed to drive such a vehicle, so he was also uninsured.
Robert Capper, defending, said this was a small, family-owned haulage business with three 7.5-tonners. One of its main activities was the transport of railway sleepers from Liverpool to North Wales. The total weight had been well within the vehicle's permitted gross weight—the problem had been the distribution of the weight. Wood could vary quite significantly in weight, depending upon its nature.
As far as the driving licence offences were concerned, said Capper, the law had changed at the beginning of 1997. Prior to that anyone with an ordinary driving licence could drive 7.5-tonne vehicles. However, as Graham did not pass his driving test until November 1998 he did not have the additional qualification now required.
It had been a recent change in the law and the offences had been committed due to ignorance. The company was perhaps more to blame than Griffiths, Capper suggested.
The magistrates fined the company £1,520 with 155 costs.
Griffiths was fined 1148 with £30 costs and his licence was endorsed with nine penalty points.