Lorries carrying 'dangerous goods' targeted by A14 police checks

Vehicles carrying dangerous goods on one of Northamptonshire’s busiest roads have been targeted for police spot checks in a bid to improve safety.

Focused on the A14, Tuesday’s day of action saw vans and lorries, licensed to carry dangerous goods, investigated by Northamptonshire Police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)

Dangerous goods are assigned different classes covering goods from the highly dangerous, such as explosives, flammables and fuming acids, to everyday products such as paints, solvents and pesticides.

Throughout the day, 15 vehicles were intercepted by officers in marked police cars on both carriageways and escorted to the check site situated at the Rothwell Truckstop, where officers and DVSA enforcement officers checked for offences.

Of the vehicles stopped, two were prohibited from leaving the site due to the lack of required PPE (personal protection equipment), and a further two for load security.

All four drivers were allowed to continue their journeys after the issues were rectified at the site.

Three drivers were issued words of advice for missing equipment or paperwork, including one who did not have his Dangerous Goods Licence with him, while one person was dealt with for a number plate offence.

In addition to the dangerous goods licence examinations, one commercial vehicle was seized for no insurance and the driver of a LGV was issued with a fixed penalty notice for driving whilst using a mobile phone. He has also been referred to the Traffic Commissioner.

Northamptonshire Police forensic collision investigator and specialist vehicle examiner, PC Chris Gray, said: “Road safety is all our responsibility, and with the support from our partners, we will continue to hold these operations to ensure people using our roads are doing so both legally and responsibly.

“All the drivers we spoke to throughout the day were very professional, some had never been stopped in their driving career and were grateful for the support and advice. We were able to help one of the drivers get the necessary equipment he needed to do his job safely.”