§ Mr. DoverTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce a requirement for lorries carrying minerals, stone, sand, grit and excavated materials on public roads to have such loads securely sheeted.
§ Mr. KeyThe safety of loads on vehicles used on the roads is controlled by the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. Regulation 100(2) requires that any load carried by a vehicle be secured, if necessary, by additional restraints so that it is not likely to cause danger or nuisance by moving, falling or blowing off the vehicle. This would cover the sheeting of loads.
In addition, regulations have recently been introduced under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 specifically to require lorries working in quarries to sheet their loads to prevent dust. While these regulations do not apply on a public road, vehicles will need to be sheeted before entering a quarry and to remain sheeted after loading as far as the exit from the site. Drivers are unlikely to deliberately remove the sheeting once on the road.