VOSA roadside checks ‘go live’

From 28 May Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) examiners are expected to begin issuing fixed penalties to drivers for infringements detected during roadside enforcement checks. Leading trade body the Freight Transport Association (FTA) welcomes the extension of these powers to VOSA examiners (previously only available to the police), and expects that an improvement in road safety will follow.

Joan Williams, FTA's Head of Road Freight and Enforcement Policy, said: "VOSA officials will now be issuing penalties to unsafe vehicles at the roadside, which is good news for all responsible road users. Drivers will be more accountable for the roadworthiness of their vehicles and could face fixed penalties if they fail to conduct their daily walk round checks properly.

“Crucially, foreign drivers who fail to comply with the rules will not be able to slip through the cracks anymore as any driver issued with a fixed penalty who cannot provide a suitable UK address will be required to pay a deposit at the roadside and if necessary the vehicle will be immobilised until the deposit is paid.”

Previously only police officers were able to issue fixed penalties to drivers for road traffic offences. These powers have been extended to VOSA examiners and fixed penalties have themselves been extended to apply to more offences, such as drivers' hours and driver certification infringements.

Williams concluded: “FTA has sent out clear messages that, now more than ever, infringements and defects detected at the roadside will have financial implications for the driver and impact on the operator’s OCRS and ultimately their Operator Licence. We hope that drivers and operators are clear about what is required of them, not least for safety reasons but also to avoid fixed penalties.”

FTA has published advice on the new rules, setting out all the fixed penalty offences and guidance on what is expected of drivers and operators under these new rules.