An employed driver who drove over the legal hours permitted was before Castlebar District Court on Wednesday.
Thomas Davitt, Turlough, Castlebar was stopped by an inspector from the Road Safety Authority on August 19 2010, as he drove from Castlebar to Waterford. The tachograph of the lorry was inspected which showed that on August 11 2010 that 11 hours and 24 minutes had been clocked up the driver. Legally drivers are allowed to drive for nine hours daily or for 10 hours twice a week.
Davitt, who had been transporting highly toxic and flammable liquids, had not parked up to rest as there were no secure facilities to park his lorry. The driver has no previous convictions.
The employer of Davitt told the court that there are no secure facilities to park up on this route, which due to the nature of what the driver was transporting is needed.
Judge Mary Devins said that “these are European Regulations, which are being applied to our country”, yet we don’t have the “infrastructure” of a European country. The judge dismissed the charge.
