ROAD policing officers were out in force again in south-west Essex as they continued their drive to rid the county’s roads of dangerous and poorly-driven lorries.
A total of 43 UK and non-UK-registered goods vehicles were checked for their condition, with their drivers’ documents also examined to ensure they were meeting driving hours’ criteria.
Seven vehicles were prohibited from travelling any further due to their “appalling standard of maintenance” and a further five were also stopped as their drivers had exceeded the legal limit for being behind the wheel.
Ten drivers were issued with graduated fixed penalty notices, with over £1,000 taken in on-the-spot fines.
Commercial Transport Investigator, Pc Harry Sexton, said: “We are continuing with our efforts to improve road safety. We are committed to keeping the roads of Essex safe. Our message to commercial vehicle owners and their drivers is to make sure that you are 100 per cent roadworthy before travelling through our county.”
Operation Mermaid is a nationwide campaign conducted by police forces across England & Wales which aims to improve road safety. Last week’s operation was carried out at Thurrock’s MOTO Services on Friday, 15 January.
