New road crime team targeting abnormal loads in planned enforcement

Our new road crime team are gearing up to carry out proactive enforcement against those failing to meet the expected safety standards on our roads, and abnormal loads is one of these priority focuses.

PC Kiki Pilarcyzk, one of our dedicated abnormal loads officers in the new 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.”

What constitutes as an abnormal load?

• A load carried in a vehicle with a weight exceeding 44-tonnes of maximum authorised mass (MAM)
• An axle load of more than 10-tonnes of a single non-driving axle and 11.5-tonnes for a single driving axle
• A load with a width exceeding 2.9 metres
• A load with a length of more than 18.65 metres

Loads over a certain weight and size often require planned police escorts, given the risk they pose to fellow motorists. These involve meticulous planning in-order to minimise the disruption to key routes across Staffordshire.

We have the power to refuse permission for loads to be moved if they do not follow the correct legislation or if they fail safety checks on the day of the move. These checks involve both the loads itself and the vehicle transporting it.

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.”