Law enforcement is conducting inspections on vehicles, specifically buses and trucks, along the B224 highway.
In a bid to ensure more safety in passenger and goods transport, German authorities conducted a series of joint control days across several districts, including Bottrop, Gladbeck, and the Recklinghausen district. The primary focus of these controls was on driving and rest times, load securing, and tachograph manipulation.
The goal of these controls was to enforce compliance with EU and national transport regulations and improve road safety. According to the police president, these areas have been identified as the most common violations during joint control days for passenger and goods transport in Germany.
Frequent infringements involve exceeding legally permitted driving hours without taking mandatory breaks or rest periods. Improper securing of goods is another widespread violation, as loads not correctly fastened can shift or fall during transport, posing significant safety risks to road users. Manipulating tachographs, devices that record driving time and rest periods, is a common and serious violation, including falsifying data or tampering with the device to conceal driving time infringements and evade compliance checks.
During the control day in the Recklinghausen district and Bottrop, the police checked a total of 201 vehicles. After the extensive controls, many trucks and buses continued their journey without any issues. However, the police found 99 vehicles with violations. Among these, 11 vehicles had loads that were inadequately secured, five had technical defects, and in 15 cases, there were violations of driver regulations or social regulations.
Thankfully, there were no indications of tampering with the tachograph in any of the vehicles checked. Fines and even imprisonment are imposed for criminal offenses related to the manipulation of tachographs, according to the police president.
The correct securing of loads significantly contributes to traffic safety, according to the police president. She personally accompanied a control in Bottrop and stressed that overloading and insufficient load securing can lead to severe accidents. The prescribed rest times protect not only other road users but also the drivers of passenger transport and trucks, she added.
The controls were not limited to the police. The customs office and the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility were also involved in the action day. A total of seven vehicles were prohibited from continuing their journey.
While exact statistical data or detailed official reports specific to the latest joint control days in Germany were not found, these violation categories are well-recognised in German transport safety enforcement contexts. For precise, up-to-date statistics and analyses, German Federal Office for Goods Transport (BAG) or similar official sources would typically publish detailed reports.
In the scope of enhancing road safety, the industry of transportation faces scrutiny over frequent infringements such as exceeding driving hours, improper load securing, and tachograph manipulation. The finance sector plays an integral role in enforcing compliance by imposing penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for violations related to tachograph manipulation.
