A driver attempting to claim he didn’t require business insurance for his van, alleging it was being used to transport meat for a family barbecue, was among dozens caught in a police crackdown to improve road safety in the West Midlands.
Officers from the road harm prevention team, patrolling Dudley Road in Winson Green, grew suspicious of a dilapidated refrigerated Ford Transit 350 van. The vehicle, which had a driver with his hood pulled up, was pulled over just before lunchtime last Monday.
Upon inspection, officers discovered the driver was uninsured, and the vehicle was owned by one of the passengers, who claimed the meat was being taken to a family gathering. However, it was revealed the van was being used for business purposes in the meat trade, rendering the insurance claim invalid.
Both the driver and the van owner were reported for insurance offences, and the van was seized, though officers allowed the men to transfer the meat to another vehicle before towing. This is just one of over 60 vehicles seized since the launch of the West Midlands’ new Roads Policing Unit at the beginning of October.
Sgt Ade Brown of the RHPT commented: “The van we stopped carrying the meat was clearly not on its way to a family barbecue, but was involved in the meat trade. Uninsured vehicles are a known hotspot for other serious crimes, and this action is part of our ongoing efforts to make roads safer across the region.”
The crackdown, involving extra patrols, advanced technology, and new vehicles, aims to reduce serious injuries and fatalities caused by uninsured drivers and other road crimes.
