Today I reversed and drove over my mudflap and ripped off my whole guard and steel support (was rusted through).
I was given a defect report code and told I was booked in at DAF trucks for repair and I could drive it there (not working out of my usual yard) and it was ok for me to do that.
I felt in my heart that it wasn’t right but I did it anyway. Did I do wrong legally? As without a guard I could have thrown a stone or anything at another passing car etc
It’s not actually illegal to drive a vehicle in that sort of condition, if that happens because of an incident while out on the road. You’re often allowed to take the vehicle a reasonable distance to somewhere it can safely be repaired.
I had a blowout last year on the M6, took one mud guard clean off, bent the one next to it, destroyed a load of electrical and air lines. I managed to get a new tyre on and the lines capped and secured, but that was all that could be done on the hard shoulder as my tank was loaded with 36000 litres of fuel, so couldn’t really weld on a new bracket for the mud guard.
Traffic womble who turned up said he was happy for me to drive from jcn16 on the M6 back to base at Ellesmere Port, as long as I was happy the vehicle was safe to drive, which of course I was, so off I went
You had a defect code and drove straight to the place that was to fix the problem , it is no different from your car being out of mot and you driving to the test station where you booked it in . If you had been stopped you could prove you reported the defect and where you were booked in for repair .
Gillberry:
You had a defect code and drove straight to the place that was to fix the problem , it is no different from your car being out of mot and you driving to the test station where you booked it in . If you had been stopped you could prove you reported the defect and where you were booked in for repair .
Ok so it was ok as it has happened out on the road and I had a defect code and it was booked in. It was safe as it was only a mudwing. But I guess I could have thrown a stone up and hit a car windscreen or a pedestrian. Food for thought I guess.
Gillberry:
You had a defect code and drove straight to the place that was to fix the problem , it is no different from your car being out of mot and you driving to the test station where you booked it in . If you had been stopped you could prove you reported the defect and where you were booked in for repair .
The exception to that is if it is UNSAFE to do so
Yes forgot to mention that bit as obviously serious defects require a tow .
I had an incident with a Volvo when a skip lorry took my mirrors off. I was in bed and the office told me to go to the main dealers. I had to refuse as I didn’t feel happy driving down the M5 with no mirrors. LHD Volvo. The call out and new mirrors cost about £800 but I had managed to catch the driver so his boss paid.
Gillberry:
You had a defect code and drove straight to the place that was to fix the problem , it is no different from your car being out of mot and you driving to the test station where you booked it in . If you had been stopped you could prove you reported the defect and where you were booked in for repair .
The exception to that is if it is UNSAFE to do so
Yes forgot to mention that bit as obviously serious defects require a tow .
Which thats not. Many people drive trucks around for years without them until they get caught in Australia