Hundreds of drivers break HGV hours rule
Lorry drivers were caught exceeding permitted working hours almost 300 times in a year-long Midlands crackdown.
Inspection officers carried out thousands of checks on drivers on the M54, M6 and M5 during a campaign against illegal practices over the past year, according to figures from a Freedom of Information request.
Some were found to be breaching limits on the length of hours they have been working without breaks during the day.
Officials say tired drivers can account for one in five serious crashes.
A range of regulations are enforced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to ensure drivers are properly rested when they hit the roads.
The majority of the checks were carried out at the M6, close to its junction with the M54 at Doxey and off junction three for the M5 for Halesowen.
Officials discovered lorry drivers had breached their working hours on 286 occasions and they issued 147 graduated fixed penalty notices.
Fixed penalty fines vary depending on the severity of the offence but can reach up to £300 for the driver. Their employers can be subjected to follow-up visits by inspectors to check on working practices. For cases deemed as most serious offences, a report on the firm will be presented to regulator the Traffic Commissioner for a ruling.
Checks were carried out in 2014/15 on Shropshire's M54, the M5 between J1 West Bromwich and J4 for Lydiate Ash and Bromsgrove near Halesowen, the M6 between J6, for the Aston Expressway, and J14 for north Stafford and Stone.
A DVSA spokesman said: "Drivers' hours rules help ensure our roads are safe for all road users."
