Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Road Haulage Drivers Be Aware - On The Spot Fines Are Here!

DVSA to Charge for Hours Offences and Foreign Drivers Must Pay Immediately
Shipping News Feature
UK – From March 1, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will start issuing on-the-spot fines for any drivers' hours offences committed in the previous 28 days. In a single roadside check, DVSA traffic examiners will issue fines for up to 5 drivers' hours offences. With fines of up to £300 for each offence a driver could be liable for £1,500 in a single stop whether the offences were committed in the UK or abroad. DVSA will also have the option to immobilise the vehicle.

The rules will also apply to drivers who don’t live in Great Britain. However, they’ll need to pay any fines immediately, before being allowed to continue their journey. The DVSA will immobilise their vehicle until they pay.

As well as giving fines to drivers for recent offences, DVSA traffic examiners have started issuing fines to deal with drivers who don’t properly rest. Lorry, bus and coach drivers must take a 45-hour rest break at least every fortnight.

Since November 1, 2017, the DVSA has started to fine drivers up to £300 if they spend their full weekly rest break in their vehicle in places where it causes a problem. For example, if a lorry driver spends their full break in the cab of their lorry in a layby.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) says that it supports DVSA’s action on drivers’ hours compliance but, once again, raised concerns about the lack of legal rest areas for drivers to park. RHA chief executive, Richard Burnett, commented:

“We welcome enforcement that increases road safety and ensures drivers get their rest breaks, and it will certainly help DVSA get a grip on drivers who’ve crossed into the UK having driven long distances without sufficient breaks before they’ve got here.

“Whilst we support action against firms who deliberately flout drivers’ hours rules, we also call on the Government to address the urgent need for more lorry parking areas so that drivers have somewhere secure to rest.”