Police carry out M4 safety crackdown
Fifteen drivers pulled over for a variety of offences
As part of a joint operation with partners, Thames Valley Police have pulled over more than 15 drivers on the M4 near Reading.
Thames Valley Police and Hampshire Constabulary Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit worked with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), local authorities and National Highways to carry out an operation focusing on Heavy Goods Vehicles road safety and compliance as well as enforcing the fatal four factors of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone.
The team was based at Reading services between J11 and J12 of the M4 which is now a smart motorway.
A number of HGV were stopped for a range of issues including mechanical problems with the vehicles, insecure loads and bald tyres.
Further, five vans were stopped for offences including using a mobile phone, having no insurance and the vehicle being overweight. One van was seized for having bald tyres, faulty breaks, a corroded suspension and no insurance.
There were also two cars stopped for having front tinted windows that did not let enough sunlight through. The windows of one driver’s car let 0.31% of light through. The legal limit is 70%.
PC Jonny Housby, of the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit, said:
“I am pleased that we have been able to educate a number of drivers through this operation and take unsafe vehicles off the road.
“It’s extremely important that HGV and other similar vehicles are safe to drive and that the drivers are making sure they are complying with tachograph rules. This makes sure that they and other road users are safe.
“In addition, we identified number of drivers who were using their phones while driving and one driver was not wearing a seatbelt. These are two of the fatal four factors that make it more likely that you could be killed or seriously injured in a collision.
“It is not worth the risk, so please make sure that you are not distracted by your phone while driving and that you are wearing a seatbelt.
“As we come into the summer months and the holiday season, there will be more people on the roads. We all have a part to play in making sure that we are driving safely and that our vehicles are road worthy."