Defect numbers level out
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• Of the 1,774 vehicles examined in the Vehicle Inspectorate's latest Operation Mermaid nationwide spotchecks. 7% received immediate prohibitions for mechanical defects, A further 8.7% received delayed prohibitions: brakes, tyres and steering were the most common defects.
Of the 277 UK vehicles weighed, 18 were found to be overloaded; among foreign vehicles, 38 were given prohibi
tions for hours and overloading offences.
An Italian operator and his driver were arrested when their truck was found to have an interrupter device fitted to its tachograph. They appeared before Chippenham Magistrate's Court the next day. The operator was fined £2,000, the driver £800; they were each ordered to pay £50 costs.
A VI spokesperson says the figures were about the same as those recorded in January.