Writing on Twitter earlier today, the police department told its followers that “the motorway is not your personal toilet” and said that the driver had stopped on a clearway despite Exeter services being “within sight”.
According to officers, the driver was reported for stopping on a clearway and “sent on his way”.
The motorway is not your personal toilet, especially with Exeter services within sight. Driver reported for stopping on a clearway and sent on his way. 3656 pic.twitter.com/iH5X0SfHkP
— Devon and Cornwall Roads Policing Team 🚔 (@DC_RPT) April 20, 2022
Last month, another lorry driver was also handed a fine by police officers who discovered him taking a tacho break on an UK motorway access slip road.
North West Motorway Police revealed that its ME48 unit had come across an HGV that slowed to a stop on access slip road of the M56.
The lorry driver had stopped in a live lane in order to take a mandatory tachograph break, and was fined by officers as a result.
Photo: North West Motorway Police
The examples above have some parallels to an incident we reported on last September, whereby a lorry driver was fined for stopping on the hard shoulder. That particular story sparked a lively debate on social media, with some agreeing that the police were right to issue the ticket due to the trucker’s lack of planning.
If lorry park is busy or full, it’s not an excuse to park & take your break on the hard shoulder. This driver is writing to his MP, as he doesn’t feel it’s fair to have been issued a ticket! Perhaps wait for a space in the lorry park or plan your journey better. #RPU #safety 332 pic.twitter.com/wfJ6QW6zlu
— Leicestershire Roads Policing Unit (RPU) (@LeicsPoliceRPU) September 21, 2021
However, there were plenty of social media users who came to the defence of the lorry driver that received the ticket. One user tweeted “Impossible to plan ahead, parking is not readily available for HGVs, sounds like he was in a catch 22 situation and took the lesser option not to go over his hours, which could have cost him his job.”
Another replied “Understand your point but HGV drivers are under so much pressure these days and try to get as as possible before having to have there break thus leaving them enough time to complete their days work, it’s a hard one but been in that situation many times over 44 years truck driving.”