Van Drivers arrested
'en masse' in Scottish Police Action Day Blitz on Drivers speeding and
not Wearing Seatbelts
A
crackdown on law-breaking van drivers in Scotland has resulted in large
numbers of offending drivers and passengers stopped during a day of
action campaign.
The blitz on drivers speeding and not wearing seatbelts was carried
out in response to shock figures which revealed that one in five
accidents involving a van or other commercial vehicle results in death
or serious injury.
A total of 213 van drivers were caught by Tayside Police without a
seatbelt on and 43 of were speeding.
The large number of van drivers without seatbelts is almost certainly
down to the fact that many are frequently getting in and out of their
vehicles and forget, or simply cannot be bothered, to buckle up.
The Tayside chief constable and road policing spokesman for the
Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland couldn't
understand why the message is not getting through to motorists and stated
that for so many to be caught not wearing seatbelts is just sheer
stupidity.
In addition to increasing their chance of serious injury or worse,
drivers who break the law could find their van insurance premiums being
increased, as companies deem law-breakers to be more dangerous on the
road and therefore more likely to make a claim against their insurance
policy. Van insurance providers can also potentially refuse a
claim if the driver is proven to have not been wearing a seatbelt at the
time of an accident.
The Dft and
Police have warned that it is very important for drivers to bear in mind
that vans (and all goods vehicles not exceeding 7.5 tonnes) are subject
to lower national speed limits than cars on both single and dual
carriageway roads. Drivers of light goods vans should be aware that they
are subject to reduced speed limits on a number of roads.
Small goods vans not exceeding 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight,
are allowed to travel at 70 miles per hour on motorways, but are
restricted to 60 miles per hour on dual carriageways and 50 miles per
hour on single carriageways. In other words whilst a car may travel at
up to 60 mph on single carriageways and 70 mph on dual carriageways vans
are only allowed to travel up to 50 mph on single carriageway roads and
60 mph on dual carriageway roads. Remember, a lower speed limit will
apply in built up areas and on many local roads. Where a lower
speed limit is signed you must comply with those lower limits].
Many Van
drivers are also caught using a hand held mobile phone or similar
devices. They'll get fixed penalty notice and will receive 3 points
on their licence and a fine of £60. If a case goes to court, in
addition to points, drivers could face discretionary
disqualification on top a maximum fine of £1,000 or £2,500 in the case
of drivers of buses/coaches and heavy goods vehicles.
Safety Reps
should remind members of the need to comply with road safety laws if not
only for their own safety and that of others but because of the
penalties for those caught.
