Video captures tractor-trailer dumping muck along road
© Urban Pictures A video of a tractor-trailer dumping muck on the road while driving through Cheltenham has prompted renewed calls for trailer safety.
Footage of the unknown tractor was posted on Twitter by user Urban Pictures (@urban_pictures) on Saturday (9 October).
Hi @Glos_Police, pretty sure this guy has just flytipped a load of soil and debris around Cheltenham. No number plate on trailer. Ended up depositing his load in a field off the A435. At least one motorist with punctured tyre as a result. @GlosRoads @GlosLiveOnline #Cheltenham pic.twitter.com/i3BK6roB7U
— Urban Pictures (@Urban_Pictures) October 9, 2021
It shows the driver of a blue tractor towing a trailer around Cheltenham in Gloucestershire with the tailgate open and heaps of muck spilling onto the road.
See also: Safety reminder for farmers to maintain trailers
Car drivers can be seen avoiding the hazard and driving on the opposite side of the carriageway.
The trailer does not display any registration number plate and the rear flashlight is positioned in the wrong place, too close to the lighting board. This trailer is in breach of road traffic regulations, along with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER98 Regs) and the Health and Safety at work etc Act 1974.
Farmer Jane Gurney, founder of the Tilly Your Trailer national trailer safety campaign, said the footage was “shocking”.
She added: “The agricultural trailer seen in this footage is clearly in a highly dangerous condition.
“The operator is behaving in the most irresponsible way. It is clear to us that the trailer does not meet the required legal standard of maintenance.”
Ms Gurney stressed that if the operator were involved in an incident, he/she would be prosecuted and left with the consequences. But the company involved could also be prosecuted for a poorly maintained trailer.
“Let’s presume that the person driving the tractor did not own the trailer. But even if they didn’t, they are putting themselves in jeopardy being asked to operate kit that is not safe to use.
“No one should be asked to drive a dangerous tractor-trailer combination – and this certainly is dangerous.”
Tilly Pass
Although it is not required by law, the Tilly Pass is an annual 18-point inspection carried out on farm by authorised mechanics which aims to ensure that trailers are safe for road use.
All trailers that pass the inspection are given a distinctive numbered Tilly sticker, which assures drivers that they are safe to use on roads. The sticker gives a clear message of compliance, changes annually, and all details of maintenance, such as chassis number, ownership, model and make, are all recorded on a central database
Ms Gurney, whose son Harry was killed in a trailer accident in 2014 while he was working as a seasonal farmworker transporting grain during harvest, urged all trailer operators to use the free trailer safety app Head to Tow – available on the website tillypass.co.uk – for daily maintenance.
Thank you to everyone who reported the debris on a number of Cheltenham roads. A crew has put out signs to warn road users. Contractor on way to clear debris & make sure roads are ok to use. We'll be making follow up enquiries but priority is to clear the roads. Thanks
— Glos Roads (@GlosRoads) October 9, 2021
Farmers Weekly has requested a comment from Gloucestershire Police.