Effective management of defect reporting

20 February 2023

How do you know that your drivers are completing their walkround checks?  Are you confident that your drivers are completing their checks properly?  In short, it is highly likely that an ‘S’ marked prohibition issued by the DVSA due to failings in driver defect reporting will mean an Operator will end up before the Traffic Commissioner in a Public Inquiry.  This could in turn lead to revocation of an Operator’s Licence, Transport Manager’s losing their repute and could also result in a driver being called to a Driver Conduct Hearing.

Many defects can be spotted by the driver as part of their walkround check which includes issues with lamps, warning lights on the dash, wipers and tyres etc.  The list is non-exhaustive, but it is imperative that your drivers are checking (and notifying) defects appropriately and in a timely manner.

For example, an ‘S’ marked PG9I is a prohibition for a defect that renders the vehicle immediately dangerous, and which indicates a significant failure in the Operator’s maintenance systems.  Such a prohibition could potentially be avoided if a driver had completed their walkround checks properly.

Operator’s are expected to have effective management systems in place to monitor the quality of the drivers walk around check. If you would like specific training or to update Transport Manager CPD, please join BACK Academy’s course – BACK under the Bonnet – Effective Management of Vehicle Maintenance by following this link Training | Back Academy

If you would like more information on how to avoid this happening to your business, then please contact our Regulatory Team or calling 01254 828300 email enquiries@backhouses.co.uk