Tough new powers are needed for town halls to tackle lorry drivers who ignore weight restrictions, bringing chaos to the nation’s villages and roads, local Liberal Democrats say today.
Lorries of a certain weight, height or width are banned from many minor roads but the police, whilst doing all they can, do not always have the resources to enforce these restrictions.
The Local Government Association said that, between 2011 and 2016, the number of fines for “neglect of traffic signs and directions and of pedestrian rights”, which includes enforcement of weight and width restrictions, has fallen by 32 per cent from 146,500 to 100,400.
This is despite the number of heavy goods lorries on the roads increasing by 356,000 since 2012 and as villages and rural communities across the country have been blighted by a recent spate of lorry smashes – with careless HGVs getting stuck and causing incredible amounts of disruption for the average motorist.
In Leeds and Durham, lorries managed to get themselves wedged underneath bridges whilst a HGV in Liverpool caused an hour of delays as it tried to turn around to avoid a low bridge, all of which were clearly marked as unfit for the vehicle.
Meanwhile a driver in Manchester managed to get himself stuck, by following a sat-nav down a road that was too small for the lorry to fit down and in Frampton-on-Severn a driver managed to get themselves stuck whilst delivering to a building site, something that another driver had previously managed in the exact same spot.
The LGA, which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, wants local authorities to be able to issue fines to any heavy haulage lorry driver that ignores carefully thought out road restrictions to bring peace and tranquillity back to some blighted communities and prevent costly delays to other road users and businesses. The money collected from the fines could be put to good use tackling the nation’s £9.3 billion pothole backlog.
The Government has handed powers to local authorities in Wales to take action if lorry drivers break the law. The LGA says councils across the rest of the country must also be given the ability to enforce weight and width restrictions in their communities.
[YOUR NAME] said:
“There has been a spate of accidents involving lorry drivers driving irresponsibly and bringing chaos to our communities.
“Councils are doing everything they can to help their residents, working with communities by organising lorry watch schemes. But they are trying to take action with one hand tied behind their back and need tougher powers. If a community is being plagued by problems at an accident blackspot, councils should be able to respond to their concerns by issuing fines to act as a deterrent.
“The vast majority of lorry drivers are reputable and drive responsibly. These powers would be targeted at the minority who do not follow the law. This is also about protecting the drivers’ safety as well as the safety of residents and other road users.”
BACKGROUND
- Fixed Penalty Notice offences
Our roads are crumbling whilst at the same time, more people than ever before are using them. The country currently has a £9.3 billion backlog of repairs and one in five roads is classed as being in poor condition. - The Traffic Management Act 2004 (part 6), provides for councils to be given the powers to enforce weight limits and width restrictions, but central Government has not yet passed the necessary secondary legislation to bring it into force in England. The Welsh Government has done so and councils (and Transport for London) in the capital have powers.
- The number of Heavy Goods Vehicles in England in 2012: 396, 300. In 2.017 it rose by 35,600 to 431,900.
Examples of Lorry Watch Schemes:
CASE STUDIES – CRASHES
Liverpool: A large 40ft lorry became stuck on the road after the driver realised he wouldn’t be able to fit under a low bridge, causing considerable traffic backlogs and delays. Read more.
Delph: The Saddleworth village of Delph was brought to a standstill by a stuck lorry – because the driver was following sat-nav. Read more.
Frampton-on-Severn: It’s happened again – stuck lorry blocks village road. Read more.
Durham: Traffic chaos as lorry gets stuck underneath bridge during rush hour. Read more.
Leeds: ‘Stuck lorry’ causes traffic disruption in Leeds. Read more.