Penalty Points query...

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Flash

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Quick question – If a vehicle has a slight over hanging load – i.e. some timber hanging out of the rear door (but by a small amount) on a van then is that a penalty endorseable offence of 3 points as well as the £60 fine…?
 
You see lorries with this sort of thing and a warning triangle affixed to the rear of the projection .

I'm sure there will be a limit to how long the projection can be , but if it is clearly marked so that no one is likely to run into it , does not obstruct your lights or numberplates and does not project sideways so as to be likely to strike a pedestrian then I would imagine you'd be allright .

BTW. An open tailgate or rear van door will suck in exhaust fumes so keep your windows open to avoid asphixiation .
 
Its happened to my Dad with the Sprinter and the Officer gave him a fixed penalty of 3 points and the fine. My Dad tried to explain/talk some sense into the Officer for 2HRS on the spot yesterday! Strange thing is taht the stupid officer then said it was ok for my Dad to continue rest of his journey...:rolleyes:

My Dad has already done the producer at the cop shop and they have taken his license to have it stamped. I only found out this morning. I just wanted some advise from you guy's first...

The Officer also threatened to have the vehicle impounded IF my Dad did not accept the fine/fixed penalty etc. ...:rolleyes:
 
I think I'd want to know the nature of the offence and see the relevant legislation.
 
It would depend on how long the overhang was.
Did he manage to get a photo?
The goods sre probably long gone now, but that would have helped in a court case.
Give the RHA a call and see what the say.
 
Hi Flash,
First off I respect we are talking about your father.

From a purely member of the public point of view I would suggest that there might be a number of offences that MIGHT have been committed ranging perhaps from dangerous load, insecure load, or having these items protruding beyond a certain distance?

All laws are made for the good of the road going public NOT for the enjoyment or amusement of the Police. I fully understand your defending your father, but there is no way an obnoxious Police Officer would simply talk to your father for TWO hours. Surely it would have been wham, bam thank you man, and throw the offender into the back of a van???

Does this look like once again we have another T***er, stupid person having words?

In fairness to all we only have one side of this story, and even you were not present. Were the doors wide open? were the doors secured? Was the number plate clearly visible from the rear? Was the 'load' securely fixed and did it have a warning triangle. Why didn't your father simply take the ticket instead of wasting TWO hours?

Good luck getting this issue resolved but bear in mind traffic laws are usually there to protect you and I. (This comes from someone that has little time for traffic police)

John
 
glojo said:
All laws are made for the good of the road going public NOT for the enjoyment or amusement of the Police.

you could have fooled me :)
 
This is as it stands for LGV

Rear Projecting Load

Not Exceeding 1.0 M (No Action)

Exceedind 1.0M (Make load clearly visible)

Exceeding 2.0M (End Marker Boards)

Exceeding 3.05M (End Marker boards, Side Marker boards Carry Attendant 2 days notice to police)
 
Thanks for the above useful info - My Dad fully accepts that he was in the wrong - I just found out that the timber was over hanging by 1.5 metres and as per Shaun's above post this is over the legal limit permitted without making the load clear.
 
May be things have changed in the intervening years but when I was at school, I used to cox rowing boats. These were loaded onto a trailer and pulled by a knackered landrover. The overhang of the boats from the end of the trailer were massive (trailer wasn't small either) and all we used to tie to longest boat was a nice flappy dirt rag and we never got done for any overhanging loads ever. Am I missing something?
Les
 
What suprises me is that you had to post this, surely the officer should have stated clear what the legal requirements are and his obligation to correctly mark the load should be.

Rather than fixed penalty have a nice day.
 
DITTRICH said:
Am I missing something?
Les
:) :) Yes not being booked!!

An apology and also thanking the officer for pointing out a very sensible law will usually get you off with a caution for most minor traffic contraventions.

If you want to site examples of disregarding traffic regulations then look no further than an agricultural vehicle!!! One day there will be a perfectly legal example on the road, but I doubt it will be in my lifetime!

John
 
The thing that annoys me about slow moving agricultural vehicles , we get a lot of them in the countryside where I live , is that none of them seem to know the rule about pulling over to allow traffic to pass once the queue behind builds up to six vehicles .
 
Pontoneer said:
The thing that annoys me about slow moving agricultural vehicles , we get a lot of them in the countryside where I live , is that none of them seem to know the rule about pulling over to allow traffic to pass once the queue behind builds up to six vehicles .


They fully understand the rule, it's the counting to six that's the problem.:)
 
Thmsshaun said:
What suprises me is that you had to post this, surely the officer should have stated clear what the legal requirements are and his obligation to correctly mark the load should be.

Rather than fixed penalty have a nice day.

I agree...

If the over hang really was dangerous then surely it would have made sense to prevent the vehicle from being driven with the timber instead of issuing the fixed penalty points and fine and then teling you to be on your way...:rolleyes: Had the Officer explained everything then it would have cleared things up.
 
As a fellow "white van man" :D:D... We NEVER under any curcumstances let goods overhang through the rear door... We do however have roof racks fitted and even then we don't let anything over hang by more than a metre...

Has your dad considered getting roof racks??
 
DuFFmAn said:
Has your dad considered getting roof racks??

This was a one off situation as the supplier was unable to deliver so we (my Dad) went and got it ourselves as needed the timber.
 
Yeah... that was my next suggestion... get it delivered ;)
 

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