Vehicles set for export found with serious faults

Motorists driving vehicles through the Thames Valley and Hampshire to export them from Southampton have been reminded to ensure they are roadworthy.

Thames Valley Police (TVP) said some vehicles stopped have been found to be in a dangerous condition and posing a serious risk.

Defects include severely worn or damaged tyres, overloaded and corroded vehicles, faulty brakes and broken windscreen wipers.

A motorist was given a suspended jail sentence in June after the brakes of the truck she was driving failed, sending it careering into vehicles in a layby and seriously injuring two people.

Tracey Hosker, 35, of Windmill Hill, Runcorn, admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving on the A34 between the Peartree and Botley Interchanges in Oxford on 11 January 2024.

She got a 22-month custodial sentence, suspended for 24 months, and a four-year driving ban.

Hosker will also need to take an extended re-test to drive again and was told to complete 10 days of community service.

A dashcam captured Hosker's truck ploughing into the layby

"The risks posed by these defective vehicles are significant, not just to the drivers themselves, but to everyone sharing the road," Sgt Paul Diamond, from TVP and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary's Joint Operations Commercial Vehicle Unit, said.

"TVP continues to work with partner agencies to identify and stop unsafe vehicles before they reach the port.

"Anyone with information about unsafe vehicle movements or concerns about road safety is encouraged to contact police via the non-emergency number 101 or report online."