Vehicle Safety, Inspections and Defect Management
Daily checks and defect management
A heavy vehicle must be safe before it moves. Drivers should carry out a daily pre-start check covering tyres, brakes, lights, steering, coupling, load restraint and fluids. Any defect that affects safety must be fixed before driving, or the vehicle must be reported and taken out of service. Defect management means recording the defect, reporting it to the operator, and ensuring it is repaired and signed off. Major defects make the vehicle unroadworthy; minor defects must still be recorded and repaired.
Inspections and records
Regular inspections and maintenance records support roadworthiness. Keep records of repairs and inspections. Understand that a certificate of inspection may be required for certain heavy vehicles. Tyres must have legal tread depth and no serious damage. Brakes, lights and couplings are critical because failure at speed is catastrophic.
Traps and rule of thumb
Questions often test whether a driver may drive with a known defect to reach a workshop. The answer depends on whether the defect is major or minor and whether it is safe; a major safety defect means do not drive. Another trap is skipping the pre-start check because the vehicle was fine yesterday. Rule of thumb: if in doubt, treat it as a defect and report it. Worked example: a cracked brake line is a major defect; the vehicle must not be driven until repaired.