A NEW dedicated crime team are setting their sights on tackling abnormal loads using Staffordshire’s roads.
The Road Crime Unit will be carrying out checks to ensure relevant legislation and safety regulations are being adhered to across the county.
Abnormal loads are those which exceed 44 tonnes of weight, have an axle load above 10 tonnes for a single non-driving axle or 11.5 tonnes for a single driving axle, a width of more than 2.9 metres or a length of more than 18.65 metres.
PC Kiki Pilarcyzk, a dedicated abnormal loads officers in the new Staffordshire Police unit, said:
“While we know that drink and drug driving, speeding, using a phone and not wearing a seatbelt are the main risks associated with serious injury on our roads, we don’t underestimate the impact that abnormal loads have on motorists.
“Failing to comply with legislation and safety regulations when transporting abnormal loads is a serious safety concern for us.
“It puts the driver at risk themselves and can result in significant collateral damage if loads spill into the road or if the load projections come into contact with other road users, particularly on busy carriageways and key routes across the county.
“The legislation and safety guidelines are there for a reason, and we expect heavy haulage companies and their drivers and commuters to adhere to them.”
Loads over a certain weight and size can require planned police escorts in order to minimise disruption – with officers having the power to refuse permission if legislation is not followed or safety checks are failed.
PC Pilarcyzk said:
“We’re regularly carrying out engagement with hauliers at a national level, alongside regular proactive enforcement and vehicle checks across Staffordshire.
“The vast majority of hauliers are reputable operators who are compliant and very keen to co-operate with the police.
“We’ll be working hard to proactively police our road networks as we continue to work daily to ensure motorists on our roads are safe and those putting others at risk are targeted robustly.”
