Commercial Vehicle Unit support national campaign

Officers from the CVU carried out a week of enforcement and a week of engagement activities to keep the roads of Gwent safe.

January was Commercial Vehicle Month and officers from our Commercial Vehicle Unit (CVU) spent two weeks enforcing the law and engaging with our communities to keep the roads of Gwent safe.

Our CVU is made up of roads policing officers that have extra training that enables them to enforce regulations regarding commercial vehicles.

As part of the engagement element of Commercial Vehicle Month, the CVU visited several large companies and organisations where vehicle issues have previously been identified. They spoke to these businesses about best practice, when it comes to issues such as insecure or over-weight loads, in order to help keep their drivers and other road users safe.

Off the back of this work, the team have also been asked to speak at the Principality Stadium in front of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA).

For enforcement, as well as all of their usual day-to-day work, the team set up three road operations:

• Operation Chelsea was a small-scale operation targeting drug drivers of Heavy Goods Vehicles – a total of 12 HGVs were stopped and two drivers were arrested for failing a roadside drug wipe
• Operation Reform was a larger operation carried out at the Coldra, Newport, alongside DVSA partners, that targeted all aspects of commercial vehicle offences – a total of 27 offences were dealt with, with five vehicles being so unsafe that they were prohibited
• Operation Tramline was a supported by National Highways who lent the team an unmarked HGV tractor unit to observe vehicles committing offences on the strategic road network - a total of 28 Fatal Four offences were dealt with, as well as three Construction and Use offences
  • The Fatal Four offences are using a mobile phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt, drink / drug driving, and speeding
  • Construction and Use offences are a group of offences concerned with the condition of a vehicle or something that has been done to a vehicle which makes it unsafe.

Driving irresponsibly or with an insecure load, committing one of the Fatal Four offences, or not maintaining the condition of your vehicle is not acceptable, and focused campaigns such as this one ensure that those who flout the law are dealt with accordingly.

If you’re concerned about unroadworthy vehicles, vehicles being driven illegally, or someone driving under the influence, you can report it via our website, by calling 101, or by messaging us on Facebook or X.

Always dial 999 in an emergency.