A severely cracked windscreen, a hazardous pile of parcels, and a potentially lethal front tyre were among a series of alarming defects uncovered during a targeted operation aimed at freelance delivery drivers.
Officers from the Nottinghamshire Police Roads Policing and Road Crime Team joined East Midlands Home Office Immigration colleagues on Wednesday, 29 April, to carry out vehicle inspections in Eastwood.
During the morning, around 20 cars and vans were identified by spotters and directed into a nearby inspection site.
Two vehicles were immediately seized after being deemed a danger to public safety:
• A car with a severely cracked windscreen
• A van with a front tyre so badly worn that the structural cord was visible
A further six traffic offence reports were issued for a range of offences, including:
• Illegal tyres
• Invalid driving licences
• No insurance
• Driving without a seatbelt
• Using a mobile phone while driving
• Carrying dangerous and insecure loads
In one vehicle, officers discovered a female front-seat passenger surrounded by a large pile of parcels, which also significantly restricted the driver’s peripheral vision.
Home Office staff also made four arrests for immigration offences during the operation.
PC Joshua Gibbons said: “Over the last few years, we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of people, from both the UK and abroad, working as freelance delivery drivers.
“Unfortunately, we also know that many are putting other road users at risk as they try to cut costs and maximise profits.
“Some have no valid licence or insurance, while others are driving vehicles that are in an extremely poor state of repair.
“Others are taking wholly unnecessary risks by not wearing a seatbelt or by using mobile devices at the wheel to navigate to their next drop-off.
“One man we stopped had piled parcels so high that his female passenger was almost completely buried beneath them.
“Had they been involved in a collision, those parcels would have posed a very serious danger to her.
“We understand that people are trying to make a living, but it must be done in a safe and legal way.”
