Traffic and Transport Laws of the United Kingdom

Subjects covered The highway code How it affects your conduct on the road Driving licences including penalties & endorsements How they affect your professional standing as an LGV driver, personal car insurance and your employers Operators Licence Operator licences How your professional conduct affects your employers business Operator compliance risk score (O.C.R.S) How it works and how your day to day work can have an affect upon it Drivers hours, the working time directive (road transport directive) & your legal responsibilities The basic rules that you should know, tachograph infringements, infringement letter notices and the signing of them Vehicle safety & the construction & use regulations How you have a direct influence on the vehicles safety record, and daily mechanical wellbeing

The commissioners court Should a driver fall foul of the law the traffic commissioner has the power to suspend or revoke a drivers vocational licence at any time even if the offence has nothing to do with driving This rule of suspension also applies to the court system of the UK but is aimed at the normal driving licence not vocationals Further to this when a driver has had their licence returned by the DVLA following a suspension. The driver may be summoned before the commissioner to assess their competence and standing The traffic commissioner may then further suspend the vocational licence for a period of time The driver will get two invitations to appear before the commissioner if summoned to do so. Not to appear will result in the case being heard and dealt with in their absence

UK battenberg recognition Orange Light Blue Mountain Rescue Police Dark Blue Black Coastguard Highways Agency DVSA Rail Ambulance Fire Blood

different thing. Can you tell what? Traffic Signs This slide will show four signs with the same symbol, however, they all mean a different thing. Can you tell what? Warning of cyclists Cycle route (must use) No cycling Cycle lane

Your driver number The first five characters shown are your surname If your name has fewer than five letters then a ‘9’ is added to make it up to five. IE --- BELL9 If your name has more than 5 letters only the first 5 are used. IE --- SMITH The next set of characters is your date of birth which has been re-arranged into an official pattern. Male DOB 15.02.61 becomes; ---------- 60 2 15 1 Female DOB 29.01.64 becomes; ---------- 65 1 29 4 The numbers of the year have been separated; for women, the number 5 is added to the first digit

Drivers responsibilities under the operator licence Operator licencing Drivers responsibilities under the operator licence Drivers must hold a current vocational driving licence for the class and type of vehicle to be driven Drivers must ensure that the vehicle to be driven is in a serviceable and roadworthy condition Drivers must comply with all regulations governing driving and the use of LGV/PCV vehicles Drivers must comply with all regulations in respect of drivers’ hours rules and tachographs

Rules on drivers’ hours and tachographs The basics: A rest period is: An uninterrupted period where a driver may freely dispose of his time. Time spent working in other employment or under obligation or instruction, regardless of the occupation type, cannot be counted as rest, including where you are self-employed A regular daily rest is: A continuous period of at least 11 hours’ rest A reduced daily rest period is: A continuous rest period of at least 9 hours but less than 11 hours A split daily rest period is: A regular rest taken in two separate periods – the first at least 3 hours, and the second at least 9 hours

The operator compliance risk score O.C.R.S. scores are; Snapshots of time only Recorded and kept for approximately 2 years Updated on a weekly basis Points based A joint responsibility of the operator and the driver A tool for government to regulate the transport / passenger transport industry Failure to comply with the OCRS can result in prosecution for the driver and operator, action may be taken against the operators licence and the driver’s vocational licence by the traffic commissioner

Construction & Use Regulations Speed-limiters and tachographs All vehicles over 3.5t are required to have them fitted and they must be in a working condition Speed limiters are now fitted to almost all commercial vehicles. There will be a calibration certificate displayed in the cab Tachographs and speed limiters have seals and these must not be interfered with It is part of a driver’s daily check and duty to check that the Tachograph calibration is in date by checking the stickers