Safe Speed Forums

Has anyone noticed that South Wales Scammers appear to be really pushing the overtime at the moment.

The last few weeks I've noticed them out at 7am, 7.30pm etc etc all over the place.....it wasn't this bad last year.

....they must have heared about the Black TT that got away!!

If so, I suspect that they're getting perillously close to breaching the working hours regs

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Will

HMM- yes - or are they exempt from the dreaded EU working hours directive ?

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Surely you have heard the expression "make hay while the sun shines"?

Well farmers work long hours at this time of year to ake advantage of the fine weather - just like the camera vans!!
South Wales is a very popular place to visit, or pass through on the way to the west coast.

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Income is down so they have to work longer hours to make ends meet.

But its not about money is it?

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Speed camera policy Kills

I'm not sure. Certainly anyone who is not in an exempt profession who drives the same vehicles as them might be exempt from the tachograph requirement, but not from the 10 hours driving / 11 hours duty requirement. In any case, even if they are exempt it's one h*ll of an example for someone allegedly employed to improve road safety to set

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Will

Was commenting ,not so much on the driving hours - most of the ones i see are 3.5 tonne based so no tacho or hours limitation - was thinking about the 48 hour max week - which i don't know much about as i'm in an exempt catagory.But how can they be expected to drive safely and act rationally after 10/12 hours on duty --and can they honestly say that after a number of hours their judgement and "prior opinion" is not affected ( unless of course it's all as we suspect - fix camera - and wait for a sucker(sorry speeder), with no prior judgement)

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

AFAICT, drivers of vans up to 3.5 tonnes are exempt from the tacho requirements but not the driving hours. They are restricted to no more than an average of 48 hours per week, a maximum of 60 hours in any one week, and a maximum of 10 hours driving and 11 hours duty in any one day.

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Will

willcove - as i say - i'm exempt from the 48 EU working hours directive - i'm in the exempt group , and i took the chance to rebel at the EU laws - i am restricted to 12 Hours in any one day, unless i decide i am safe to continue ( 13 days in 14 and other restrictions,by law) ---due to the fact that i am involved in safety critical duties - have never heard of the hours restrictions you mention ,and as i say due to the safety criteria am certain that we would have had it brought to our notice - what we do is if a shift involves a long drive( 1.5 hours +) , we nominate a driver, who drives there , rests in van ,takes no part in work, rests in van and drives home.
To hear that an organisation supposedly preaching and involved in road safety can work these hours with no risk assessment as to the hazards presented to them and the public, horrifies me ,and the sooner that HSE investigate them the better for road safety.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

This dft document sums up the driving hours regs. Any goods vehicle under 3.5 tonnes GVW is exempt the EU tachograph and driving hours rules but comes under the domestic rules of the country in which it is used (i.e. UK in this case). UK domestic rules limit driving hours to 10 per day and duty hours to 11 per day. Some people are exempt from the duty hours limit but not the driving hours limit (AA, commercial travellers, etc.)

However, checking the document carefully, section drivers of vehicles used by the armed forces, police, and fire brigades (but, strangely, not the ambulance services it seems) are exempt from the lot.

That said, even though they appear to be exempt from the drivers hours regs, the limits set out in those regs must be a guide on the maximum hours for safety. Thus, there must be some PR mileage in highlighting the duplicity of an organisation that claims to be there for road safety yet flouts "road safety guidance" in this way.

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Will

some one (not me) should send an foi request about working hours to them.

It might put them in a panic and might save a few thousand motorists

I say "not me" because I am snowed under with ongoing mischief

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Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

They don't trouble me at 5.30am thats for sure, and makes for a lovely relaxing drive in the morning.

I'm glad I dont have to worry about working hours directive and all that nonsense, I love working 12 hour shifts as it means I can do a 3 day week if I want. Not that I ever do though, 12 hours at overtime rate is too tempting to turn down and last two weeks Ive done the maximum 72 hours allowed before a minumum 24 hour break is taken.

Capri - same rules as me - unfortunately - at moment only possible to get one shift of up to 12 hours at overtime, due orders.
Willcove - 3.5t --there hangs the tale - the vehicles used as max size are transits ( biggest one out 3.5t as no special licence needed) , some places use smaller vans, some use Galaxies -


Mind you , with all the motorway signs saying "take a break" -and the other advice on long hours , would it not be embaressing to highlight the hours worked by this lot (and is it due to the longer hours of daylight --making hay whilst the sun shines ) when all the police and safety experts are urging drivers to curtail their driving hours.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on