Check Your Trailers

[Andy Gee]

VOSA/Ministry of Transport have a purge on trailers at the moment (in Scotland anyway). They are checking any trailer attached to a vehicle and issuing Defect/Prohibition notices. The checks involve Tyres, bearings, brakes-both overrun and hand, hitches and nose weight etc etc.
All notices issued require the trailer to go to a HGV test centre to have them removed.
If defects are serious enough the driver will be charged under the Construction and Use Regulations.
We had a small twin axle trailer put off the road for a crack in the handbrake lever, and now it must go to Glasgow to have the notice removed.
You've been warned .
Andy

[codprawn]

Nice to see they are having a purge on hard core criminals - bet you will all sleep safer now................

[alexm]

They were stopping all trailers and caravans on the new stretch of the A30 in Cornwall a few weeks back. First time I have seen a road block for that very purpose!

[oxboy]

Watching the news recently it consists of young lads being shot / stabbed. Older people dying after confronting yobs and general mayhem.

So what do the police do, have a crackdown on trailers/caravans

I know some people will say that it is different budgets etc and they should be road legal but I cannot think of any news items relating to mass deaths/injuries through trailer/caravan related incidents.

If this was not so serious it would be funny.

Living anywhere but here looks more and more inviting.

[Rogue Wave]

If it's in good nick then it's not a problem is it.

[oxboy]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

If it's in good nick then it's not a problem is it.

thats not the point though.
It seems to be whenever the police are under any pressure they go out and persecute motorists

[Nos4r2]

To be honest with the number of heavily overloaded and very dangerous trailers/caravans I see every day I think it's a really good idea.

1/4 of the caravans I see appear to have been loaded by a chimp with a shovel through the front window.

[Biggles]

Originally Posted by oxboy

thats not the point though.
It seems to be whenever the police are under any pressure they go out and persecute motorists

Its called "Easy Policing"

Seems like the Police are rapidly losing the confidence of the public if this forum is anything to go by.

Only time I seem to see a Policeman is when he's sat in the back of a van with a speed camera. I see a few Support Officers walking around and lots of those Highways Agency bods on the motorway though.

[Andy Gee]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

If it's in good nick then it's not a problem is it.

Thats true, our trailer had the usual daily check carried out by the driver with no defects reported on the sheet however the Ministry man went over the thing for about 45 mins and found a small (less than 20mm) hairline crack in the handbrake operating lever.
The crack was in an area of about 100mm wide and not noticable during a normal walk round check-you had to go under the thing to see it so not really the drivers fault.
IMHO it did not effect the safe operation of the unit but hey it was cracked none the less.
We got off quite lightly from what the driver was told, he had already put another trailer off the road that was being used by a private car to take rubbish to the coup for a crack in the side runner light.
Incidendtly the lorry that was pulling it passed the check with no defects so it not all bad .

Im really not to bothered by it, just another load of crap being flung onto the easy targerts, anyway must go and get all my paperwork in order as I have a visit from the Scottish Executive tomorrow to check over the fields .
Andy

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Andy Gee

Im really not to bothered by it, just another load of crap being flung onto the easy targerts, anyway must go and get all my paperwork in order as I have a visit from the Scottish Executive tomorrow to check over the fields .
Andy

Make sure there are no cracks or non regualtion worms.......