WIMS - Traffic In Motion Weighing System (for info....)

[wizzi901]

for about a year there has been a system installed on the M25, near Junction 9, called WIMS (see title) this system, installed without most peoples knowledge as i am informed, it involves a channel dug into the ground across the road where sensors are placed that can weigh vehicles axle weights as they drive over it, combined with a computer system and gantry camera's they can identify the type of vehicle, take a picture, calculate its gross vehicle weight and can even determine how much overweight the vehicle is down to even a particular axle, basically an unavoidable, unmarked mobile weighbridge

such example picked up after a quick google http://www.goldenriver.com/ns/m671.html

if a vehicle is found to be outside the legal limits for weight/weight distribution the nearest VOSA patrol car is then notified, and they tug you over (over 40,000 so far since the system was installed), and a prohibition order is immediately placed on the vehicle and the driver, i.e you drive to the nearest available place to stop and you go no further, then if youre unlucky and cant sort the distribution of weight out on the spot, they throw the book at the driver, and subsequently the vehicle operator. If you are very unlucky you get tugged by a jobsworth (the majority of VOSA inspectors) and they give you no grounds for squirming, and thats the end of your licence, and if the operator cannot prove that the driver was given accurate and sufficient training and instruction thats the end of their licence as well or at best a damn heavy financial penalty

the M25 junction 9 system is a trial, there are plans to set them up on every motorway in the UK, followed by A roads, you can probly guarantee at least 4-6 on the M25 alone

best bit, we paid to buy and install it, so if anyone is ever wondering why public transport and other such worthy causes never get better, its because all the money goes on things like this, not that we didnt know it already, but still

 

[the watcher]

There is a sliding scale for prosection and prohibition, depending of percentages of being overweight.

i can see that amateurs with vans might get caught out, but anybody who is engage in any kind of professional haulage should know their axle capabilities down to the last ounce(or gramme). There is still a get out of sorts if when you start your journey you are on your way to the nearest weighbridge to be weighed, maybe more people should aim to make a weighbridge their first port of call.

As a general principal, of course it is right that taxpayers money should be spend on enforcing road safety- isn't it?

 

[Judie]

I agree we should pay to enforce this sort of safety on our roads, if the lorry, van or whatever behind me can't stop properly because of being over loaded I would be pretty cross about it, also they are at a higher risk of blow outs, thus causing accidents possible....

If the vehicle is just loaded incorrectly, for example over one axle more than another then they will just need to re-distribute the weight, only if the whole vehicle is over loaded will a prohibition order be put in place until some of the goods can be unloaded.

 

[lizzie_liz]

Yes we should pay for saefty on the roads but I also believe more money should be put in to the public transport system. The government wants us to use more public transport but we don't use it because on so many occasions the trains are late or cancelled or too expensive.
for example Mum works in London and has to take the train and the tube into work which takes about 1 1/2-2 hours. one day abotu 3 weeks ago she got stuck at ealing broadway for almost an hour as there was a derailed train so no trains were leaving paddington. a week later she again was delayed at ealing broadway becasue on the same line there was a broken rail!!!
I a few days later was on coming out of paddington and again got stuck outside ealing broadway because of signal problems on the same line.
Now if you ask me, money needs to be spent in redoing these tracks, especially when broken rails are present!

 

[the watcher]

I completely agree that the public transport system needs a major overhaul and some massive investment to bring us somewhere close to our european neighbours, however the rail network is in private hands, with shareholders, unless it is to be nationalised again I don't see how road safety measures and trains can be connected in any way when funding is being discussed.

 

[Sooty]

OH works for the Highways Agency and was closely involved with VOSA on trialling this system. Some of the lorries that were stopped were three times over their weight limit. There are strict limits in place both on loads and the length of time drivers can be at the wheel, and once again it is the good old British drivers who abide by the rules and largely foreign drivers who have no limit on their driving time. If someone is going to fall asleep at the wheel, I would rather their lorry was not several times over the weight limit! Like it or not, the road system is the main way freight moves around the country, and any measures taken to make it safer for other road users should be applauded.

 

[miller]

I agree we should pay for this - I know a guy who runs a scaffolding company - now as you can imagine scafolding poles/boards are heavy. He uses a DAF 7.5t flatbed to load this onto and freely admits to being around 1.5t overloaded - would hate to see the outcome of an accident - he maintains that most scafolding lorries are over and why should he have to pay for HGV /do more trips when no one else does and that's he'd have to charge more and then not get to work.

VOSA - when I spoke to them about it were not in the slightest bit interested!

I do however, remember years ago a Cavalier being pulled over at Dover docks for being overloaded and made to leave some of the crates of beer he had in the boot - think it was the sound of the car bofy rubbing the tyre that gave that one away!

 

[Sooty]

LOL - a common sight at ports and the Eurotunnel unload area!

 

[Ashf]

The problem is that there are many 3.5 tonne 'ladies' boxes which are being used overweight.

Many conversions done have been like a window dressing exercise and it puts its occupants and those around it at risk.

It may be a tough call, bit these checks are done for a reason.

My car and trailer with a 15:3 horse and 13:2 pony in it weighs at least 4.5 tonnes, and it takes a bit of stopping even with two fully functional independent braking systems.