Operators are reminded that, from Monday 5 March, DVSA traffic examiners will be issuing on-the-spot fines for any drivers’ hours offences committed in the last 28 days.
The examiners will hand out fines for up to five such offences in a single check – resulting in a total fine of up to £1,500.
The rules will also apply to drivers who are not resident in the UK, and they will have to pay the fines immediately or risk their vehicle being immobilised.
The change is welcomed by the Road Haulage Association, whose chief executive Richard Burnett says: “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.”
However, he says, better facilities are needed and the RHA is lobbying the government “to address the urgent need for more lorry parking areas so that drivers have somewhere secure to rest”.
