Last Friday evening, French police officers and HGV inspectors discovered sophisticated tachograph manipulation devices on two Spanish trucks that were spotted moving at high speed on the A35 near Strasbourg.
According to dna.fr, officers spotted the trucks, which were travelling close together at an unusually high speed, taking the Place des Halles exit to Strasbourg. Both vehicles, which belonged to the same company, were intercepted and ordered to pull over for a full check.
The road transport inspectorate then discovered the two trucks had been fitted with very sophisticated tachograph manipulation devices. The systems were activated by a remote control hidden inside a pillow, allowing the drivers of the vehicles to falsify their drivers’ hours records. In addition, officers state that the devices neutralized the speed limiter and ABS systems on both trucks.
As a result, the two truckers were able to hide their records and drive longer than legally permitted while traveling at speeds well above 90 km/h.
The HGVs were seized by the police and will not be allowed back on the road again until they have been made road legal. The loads of both trucks were taken care of by other drivers.
The haulier responsible for the tachograph manipulations will also have to pay fines of several thousand euros.
Photo credit: Kevin.B / Wikimedia Commons