Officers from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) were once again carrying out roadside enforcement at Reading Services in partnership with Thames Valley Police when they spotted a vehicle and trailer travelling along the M4 at speeds of up to 70mph.
What caught their attention immediately was the cargo: a loose digger bucket sitting on the trailer and another positioned on the flatbed, both being carried with no load security in place.
After bringing the vehicle in for a closer inspection, officers uncovered an even more alarming picture. One tyre was found to be completely missing, while another tyre appeared to be in such poor condition it was essentially “waiting to disintegrate”.
With the vehicle’s roadworthiness clearly compromised, the trailer was immobilised on the spot to prevent it from continuing its journey and putting other road users at risk.
The Danger of Driving With an Insecure Load
Driving with an unsecured load is not just a compliance issue – it is a serious threat to life.
Heavy items such as digger buckets are capable of shifting, sliding or falling from a moving vehicle with devastating consequences.
At motorway speeds, even a small movement can destabilise the trailer and towing vehicle, while anything that comes loose can become an unpredictable hazard for other drivers, forcing sudden braking or swerving that can trigger multi-vehicle collisions.
The Risk of Poor Vehicle Maintenance
Tyres are one of the most critical safety components on any vehicle, and neglecting them can lead to catastrophic failure.
A missing tyre is an immediate and obvious danger, but a tyre on the verge of disintegration is just as serious – blowouts at high speed can cause a driver to lose control in seconds, especially when towing.
Poor vehicle maintenance also increases stopping distances and puts additional strain on the vehicle, making mechanical failure far more likely at the worst possible moment.
Why Road Safety Regulations Exist
This incident underlines why road safety regulations exist in the first place: to protect everyone who uses the roads, not just the driver of the vehicle being checked.
Proper load restraint, roadworthy tyres, and compliant towing setups are not “nice-to-haves” – they are basic responsibilities.
Enforcement activity like this is designed to stop dangerous journeys before they end in tragedy, and to reinforce the reality that cutting corners on safety can have immediate consequences.
Conclusion
With two digger buckets being carried unsecured at up to 70mph on the M4, combined with tyre issues so severe that one was missing entirely and another was close to disintegrating, officers at Reading Services faced a situation that posed a clear and immediate risk to the public.
The trailer was immobilised and, as a consequence of what was found, both the vehicle and driver were dealt with accordingly – a firm reminder that motorway driving demands not only confidence behind the wheel, but proper maintenance, safe loading practices, and full adherence to the regulations designed to keep everyone alive.
News Credits: X :@DVSAEnforcement
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