Some of you want your heads testing

But have you taken on board the point made by "Knight of the road"? Have you watched the random testing taking place and seen how it operates?

Some VOSA checks check every vehicle in particular circumstances - eg checking every coach that pulls into a particular service area. I was once stopped in a coach by a VOSA check which stopped every school bus leaving a particular school on a particular day - from four different operators - and including the school's own minibus, operating on a small bus permit. Incidentally, 100% of the vehicles stopped were found to be fully legal, roadworthy, and their drivers were driving in accordance with drivers hours. Not a bad statistic that, is it?!

However, most VOSA checks that I have seen operate in the same way that Knight of the Road described. They are random checks insofar as they haven't chosen in advance which vehicles to stop. However, to maximise the use of resources, they selectively stop vehicles which they suspect will or are more likely to have defects. Older lorries, light vans which appear overloaded, etc.

Thus the results will be skewed upwards in these circumstances.

Of course, I wasn't present at the check you mentioned, so I don't know whether it was truly random, selectively random, or blanket stopping of every vehicle. Perhaps you are privy to this information.

There are unroadworthy trucks, vans, buses, coaches on the road. There are unscruplous operators of trucks, buses, coaches etc. However, in total vehicle numbers, or in percentage terms, I would be prepared to bet that there are more unroadworthy private cars on the road than trucks, buses, etc. And as for faults being present on trucks in spite of a six week maintenance schedule - it could well be that the truck in question has completed the equivalent of 12 months worth of private motoring in that time. I wouldn't be surprised if some faults didn't occur in between