Foreign Plated Cars

[crockers]

I wrote a note a while back

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=38439&highlight=foreign+plated+cars

and would like to share with you some of the feedback I have had.

I wrote to my MP about this and have been in contact with the Transport Dept. I have in my possession now a document for discussion whereby it is now being proposed that the police have the authority to apply on the spot fines for traffic transgressors.

These will only be applied if the driver has no means of identification / proof of residence in UK and therefore would be unlikely to attend a court in the UK.

Failure to pay would mean the vehicle be immobilised. This is initially planned for commercial vehicles but it is the intention of rolling this out to the private motorist. Credit cards will be accepted - as will sterling and euros. No cheques. Any cash will be deposited into and evidence bag and sealed and a receipt issued. These are not fines as such but deposits to ensure attendance...failure to attend will necitate the loss of your deposit.

Doesnt get over the camera and parking issues - but I am working on that ...

:bannana:

 

[jimti]

As an international truck driver I have been liable for on the spot fines (Deposits) all over Europe for a number of years now, but can still get flashed by speed scameras and not get any come back. The bigger problem for me with Foreign vehicles is their state of repair, many Foreign trucks are unroadworthy, and of course, many foreign drivers have a test that is far easier to pass and are not used to our congested roads. Anyone who travels down the M20 will nearly always see a Foreign registered truck parked on the hard shoulder with a dented car in front of then after an accident. we have Polish workers in our company that have Polish registered cars that have been in the UK since joining the EU, and as far as I am aware the cars have never been back to Poland for an MOT (or their equivalent) How safe can that be?

 

[Darrell]

We are moving to a small Greek island soon and the law over there is that you may have your car in Greece for 6 months then you must take it out of the country.Most ex-pats go to Macedonia for the weekend.The police are now routinely stopping GB plated vehicles,especially in the winter when they don't have any tourists and they recognise your car.

 

[Dieselman]

, many Foreign trucks are unroadworthy, and of course, many foreign drivers have a test that is far easier to pass and are not used to our congested roads. Anyone who travels down the M20 will nearly always see a Foreign registered truck parked on the hard shoulder with a dented car in front of then after an accident.

Can you qualify that the foreign lorries are actually not roadworthy?

The sideswipe accident is a reality caused by the driver not being able to see cars close to the other front corner of the cab, not a standard of driving issue. The same accidents happen both here and abroad with RHD lorries.

I'm not saying you are wrong, just maybe mistaken.

 

[recycled]

As an international truck driver I have been liable for on the spot fines (Deposits) all over Europe for a number of years now, but can still get flashed by speed scameras and not get any come back. The bigger problem for me with Foreign vehicles is their state of repair, many Foreign trucks are unroadworthy, and of course, many foreign drivers have a test that is far easier to pass and are not used to our congested roads. Anyone who travels down the M20 will nearly always see a Foreign registered truck parked on the hard shoulder with a dented car in front of then after an accident. we have Polish workers in our company that have Polish registered cars that have been in the UK since joining the EU, and as far as I am aware the cars have never been back to Poland for an MOT (or their equivalent) How safe can that be?

same for british trucks and cars abroad

 

[Thmsshaun]

Many foreign registered trucks are not road worthy. The problem is greater than the authorities would have you believe. The problem is there is no real way of policing it. Not enough vehicles being checked.

If I find some article online I will post, but there is regular news about it in various transport industry publications.

 

[Thmsshaun]

same for british trucks and cars abroad

Cars maybe, but for trucks thats a load of tosh. We can't compete with mainland europe anyway let alone trying to do the job in an un roadworthy vehicle.

 

[Dieselman]

If I find some article online I will post, but there is regular news about it in various transport industry publications.

Which of course are absolutely neutral and unbiased in their opinion.

Again I'm not saying it isn't a problem but I suspect the UK lorries are as bad.

 

[recycled]

Cars maybe, but for trucks thats a load of tosh. We can't compete with mainland europe anyway let alone trying to do the job in an un roadworthy vehicle.

What is a load of tosh.
unbiased ? do you know how many UK buses and coaches get pulled up by the police as unroadworthy?.
Even national carriers and big name companies use unroadworthy vehicles especially defective tyres.
As for competing in europe, it is nothing to do with polish or foreign trucks.
if the fuel duty here is too high, blame the treasury here.
Tired of blaming all british problems on the door of foreigners.

One would think this place was paradise before the poles got here.
As dieselman said, there is a problem but it involves the UK as well as the foreign trucks. No good blaming just one party.

A british trucker last year just killed two people at the end of the M62 after taking a curve so fast his trailer landed on top of the car and completely compressed it.
british coaches and trucks do crash in europe as europeans do crash here as well.

What do you suggest? Ban all foreign trucks and end trade at the channell? or make the germans and poles sit british tests?

 

[Thmsshaun]

Which of course are absolutely neutral and unbiased in their opinion.

Again I'm not saying it isn't a problem but I suspect the UK lorries are as bad.

Fuel is at its highest level now from when the blockades before. No protests? No because if our hauliers protest they will have their O licence revoked!

So what can we do but plod on. A free country?? Yeah right.

I have got hauliers who have had to get vehicles re tested for the most minute of offences. Fined thousands for minor tachograph offences. I am talking minutes over time not hours!

VOSA are very harsh on UK hauliers. Then fines and consequences are great for both driver and operator.

A british trucker last year just killed two people at the end of the M62 after taking a curve so fast his trailer landed on top of the car and completely compressed it.
british coaches and trucks do crash in europe as europeans do crash here as well.

That has got nothing whatsoever to do with how safe the vehicle was!

 

[Thmsshaun]

What to sugest. For trucks:

Safety is a difficult one without having more checks at the point of entry. Random vehicle inspections on entry to the country.

We should operate a Vignette system for use of our motorways such as in Belgium and Holland. At least this will even out some costs.

I would not blame the Poles as they do many jobs us British are too lazy or too proud to do.

Just some facts

VOSA conducted a series of checks on vehicles and drivers on international journeys in Ashford, Kent on 3-4 July 2007. The results were as follows:

Roadworthiness

Vehicle Examiners checked a total of 56 vehicles and issued 22 immediate and 11 delayed prohibitions.

Drivers’ hours

Traffic Examiners checked a total of 49 vehicles and issued a total of 16 prohibitions. Two offences for drivers’ hours resulted in prohibitions of 45 hours for no weekly rest within the preceding two weeks.

 

[Dieselman]

I can't see where it says they are foreign lorries or drivers.

 

[Thmsshaun]

I can't see where it says they are foreign lorries or drivers.

Following the success of the South East International Pilot, the UK’s Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has announced that this work will be incorporated into their normal targeted enforcement work. This means that VOSA will continue to target vehicles on international journeys on UK roads to carry out vehicle and driver safety checks.

'Target vehicles on international journeys on UK roads'

Source : http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/new...internationalvehicleanddriversafetychecks.htm

 

[jimti]

Can you qualify that the foreign lorries are actually not roadworthy?

look here

The sideswipe accident is a reality caused by the driver not being able to see cars close to the other front corner of the cab, not a standard of driving issue. The same accidents happen both here and abroad with RHD lorries.

I'm not saying you are wrong, just maybe mistaken.

The instances in the Uk are far higher in comparison to the number of British trucks doing the same in Continental Europe, I can't find figures, (but will look) but in all the time I have been driving on the continent (since 1986) I can only remember twice seeing this happen with a British truck within 100 km of a port, yet I cannot remember the last time I traveled up the M20 without seeing it.

 

[jimti]

One would think this place was paradise before the poles got here.
As dieselman said, there is a problem but it involves the UK as well as the foreign trucks. No good blaming just one party.

I didn't blame the Poles, I just used their cars,( the Poles that work in the same company as me) as examples of roadworthiness Generally many Eastern Block trucks are in great need of maintenance.. I will admit that there are some dodgy UK hauliers as well, but I think as a percentage it is far smaller

What do you suggest? Ban all foreign trucks and end trade at the channel? or make the germans and poles sit british tests?

Not at all..Just make them abide by our regulations. (that is EEC regs)

 

[Dieselman]

I didn't blame the Poles, I just used their cars,( the Poles that work in the same company as me) as examples of roadworthiness Generally many Eastern Block trucks are in great need of maintenance.. I will admit that there are some dodgy UK hauliers as well, but I think as a percentage it is far smaller

According to the artical you kinked to Turkish, Bulgarian and Irish lorries are the worst.
The total percentage of defective lorries is 43% of foreign against 30% of Uk lorries.
A difference but not as great a gap as might be thought.

It mentions one foreign lorry with defective trailer brakes. I've seen a driver refuse to drive a UK lorry as he had just completed a shift with no trailer brakes.
Of course he was told to do just one more run...

It does happen with UK vehicles as well.

 

[Thmsshaun]

According to the artical you kinked to Turkish, Bulgarian and Irish lorries are the worst.
The total percentage of defective lorries is 43% of foreign against 30% of Uk lorries.
A difference but not as great a gap as might be thought.

It mentions one foreign lorry with defective trailer brakes. I've seen a driver refuse to drive a UK lorry as he had just completed a shift with no trailer brakes.
Of course he was told to do just one more run...

It does happen with UK vehicles as well.

We are not saying it doesn't.

You asked Jimti for information on the roadworthiness of foreign lorries. The information requested was provided.

 

[jimti]

According to the article you kinked to Turkish, Bulgarian and Irish lorries are the worst.
The total percentage of defective lorries is 43% of foreign against 30% of Uk lorries.
A difference but not as great a gap as might be thought.

Of these 30% were Rogue operator's (IE known as bad hauliers) whereas the foreigners were random

the figures concealed the fact that defects on British lorries were more likely to be minor. Foreign lorries tended to have serious problems, such as faulty brakes and bald tyres.

Romanian trucks were also twice as likely as British lorries to have safety defects

Foreign lorries are now being be targeted in an extensive campaign of checks after government inspectors found that they were three times as likely as British trucks to be breaking safety rules. More than 100 inspectors will focus on channel ports and motorways, carrying out random checks as well as pulling over known rogue operators.

Not really what I would call 43% verses 30%

It mentions one foreign lorry with defective trailer brakes. I've seen a driver refuse to drive a UK lorry as he had just completed a shift with no trailer brakes.
Of course he was told to do just one more run...

It does happen with UK vehicles as well.

If that British driver refused (which I would have) he would still be in work tomorrow, The foreign driver would not even be asked as it would be expected of him/her and then how many more KM would they be driving with this trailer if not stopped?