A DANGEROUS trailer which was driven through Crick has earned its farmer driver a driving ban – prompting a warning from police.
Edward Greenaway, 22, of Rugby Road in Crick was stopped by Northamptonshire Police in October last year as he used his tractor to tow a large JCB digger on a trailer through the village.
When weighed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, the tractor and laden trailer were found to be a combined weight of 33 tonnes – more than four times the weight limit permitted through the village.
The trailer also had 10 dangerous defects which required immediate prohibition, including an insecure load, illegal tyres, and no rear lights.
Of the trailer’s 12 tyres, seven had little or no tread, one was worn through to the cords and two were deflated.
The trailer’s handbrake, the nearside indicator and the suspension on one side were all broken, and the JCB had not been secured to the trailer bed.
Greenaway was later charged with driving a New Holland Tractor dangerously, due to the trailer’s poor condition.
He pleaded guilty to the offence at Northampton Magistrates’ Court and received a 12-month disqualification with a requirement to pass an extended test, and was ordered to pay £523 in fines and costs.
Following the conviction, officers from Northamptonshire Police’s Safer Roads Team have encouraged members of the farming community to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy.
PC Mo Allsopp-Clarke said: “Due to its dangerous condition, which would have been obvious to Greenaway, this trailer should never have been driven on the road.
“To hold a driving licence is a privilege and a responsibility, so it is disappointing that Greenaway was not only willing to jeopardise his own livelihood, but more importantly, willing to put the safety of others at risk.
“We would urge anyone working in the farming community to ensure they check and maintain all vehicles and machinery to make sure they remain in a roadworthy condition before using the roads.
“We would also ask all drivers carrying heavy loads to ensure they are secured before setting off and to check they remain secure during the journey at regular intervals.”
