May 31, 2026 - 217 views
A major road safety operation targeting large goods vehicles in North East Wale has uncovered dozens of offences, including uninsured drivers, overloaded vehicles and a motorist using a fraudulent driving licence.
Officers from North Wales Police’s Roads Crime Unit (RCU) joined forces with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for the second of three planned enforcement days as part of Operation Cargo.
The multi-agency initiative focuses on improving road safety by checking the roadworthiness of delivery vehicles and ensuring drivers comply with licensing and transport regulations.
During the latest operation, officers detected a wide range of offences, including drivers operating vehicles without a bonnet or front grille, using mobile phones behind the wheel, failing to wear seatbelts and driving without valid insurance.
Among the most serious cases was the driver of a red HGV who was found to have an expired HGV category on his driving licence, no valid Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) and no insurance.
Checks carried out during the operation identified 10 overloaded vehicles, 13 vehicles with insufficient tyre tread, five drivers with no insurance, three vehicles without a valid MOT and two drivers using mobile phones while driving. Officers also discovered a cloned vehicle, a fraudulent driving licence, insecure loads and breaches of drivers’ hours regulations.
In total, eight drivers were issued with immediate prohibition notices preventing their vehicles from being moved due to safety concerns, while several vehicles were seized because they were being driven without insurance.
Sergeant Emma Birrell of the Roads Crime Unit said the results highlighted the scale of the challenges officers face in keeping roads safe.
“The sheer amount of offences detected in such a short period highlights the enormity of the issues we deal with day in and day out in order to maintain road safety in our communities,” she said.
“These offences are not trivial, and they pose a real risk to public safety – drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike. I would urge delivery drivers to check the roadworthiness of their vehicle before every shift.
“A third day of enforcement is planned, however I cannot rule out ongoing targeting of large and heavy goods vehicles based on the evidence we have seen thus far.
“Public safety is and will remain the primary concern of the Roads Crime Unit.”
The latest findings come as police continue efforts to tackle dangerous driving and ensure commercial vehicles operating on North Wales roads meet legal safety standards.
