Between the 1st and 7th February, a joint initiative was held between the officers of the Isle of Man Constabulary, Road Safety Team of the Department of Transport and the Vehicle Test Centre.
As part of a campaign planned by the Road Safety Team, police officers joined with vehicle examiners to stop vehicles in the early morning and evening and check for possible vehicle defects.
The recent poor weather highlighted the importance of ensuring that drivers maintain their vehicle lights, to keep the roads as safe as possible.
Inspector Mark Britton (pictured) of the Western Neighbourhood Policing Team says, "Safety on our roads is an important part of our work. We want to reduce road casualties and one way that we try and do this is to ensure that all drivers take care of their vehicles.
"I am alarmed at the number of people who do not make simple checks of their vehicles. The Constabulary as a whole have reported 30 vehicle drivers and they could face sanctions at court.
"Across the Neighbourhood Policing Teams, we identified 288 vehicles that had minor defects and these have been followed up with drivers to make sure the issue has been put right – be that a light bulb not working or a cracked indicator.
"A total of 365 vehicles were stopped during the campaign. I remind drivers that it is their responsibility to ensure that their vehicle is 'Fit for the Road'. The cost of a lightbulb is ?5 but the cost of a court appearance could be significantly more.
"So this weekend – before you get in and drive make sure your vehicles lights work and that your car is road legal – ignorance is not a defence. This also includes driving with ice on the windscreen – it defies logic that people still think they can drive when they are not able to see.
"It is dangerous and illegal – if you crash when your windscreen is not clear, I can assure you that you will be reported.
"Whilst we concentrate on campaigns to focus our attention on issues, I can assure people that whenever we find vehicles not fit for the road, we take action.
"There are a number of options officers have available to them ranging from asking to see the vehicle with the fault corrected to having a full check of the vehicle at the PSV centre in Tromode. You could have a court appearance to face which could result in a sizeable fine!"
Gordon Edwards of the Road Safety Team reminds motorists each autumn to check their lights, tyres, washers and heaters; this enforcement action drives the message home:
"Even though we are all now looking forward longer daylight hours as spring approaches, it is vital that motorists check their vehicles before journeys to ensure they are fit for driving in the dark, foggy weather and conditions when the sun is low in the sky."
