A driver has been stopped and reported after being caught transporting hay on a dual carriageway in south Wales in an unsafe manner.
The flatbed van was travelling on the eastbound stretch of the A40 outside Brecon in Powys on Monday morning when it was spotted by police and pulled over. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.
The vehicle, which had a trailer attached to the back, was carrying a number of very large bales of hay. From images taken by local police officers, it appears that the vehicle was transporting as many as 16 large bales in total.
Read more: Married couple in hospitals 70 miles apart weeks after crash
This resulted in the load being overweight and the driver having no rear view due to the width of the bales and the distance they were overhanging the van and the trailer. Dyfed-Powys Police has confirmed that the driver was stopped from delivering the hay to its destination in one journey, and was subsequently reported for driving offences.
According to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), there are clear guidelines on how to transport hay bales safely on the road. According to the union: “If you are transporting hay or straw it is important that it is secured correctly. It’s an offence to deposit hay and straw onto the highway to such an extent as to cause a hazard. You must also ensure that the load is not likely to cause a danger or a nuisance to any person or property by way of it falling or being blown from the vehicle.
“When transporting bales you must make sure that there is adequate strapping to ensure that the load does not move. You should use straps both across the load, and across the length of the load. This is to help ensure that there is no movement sideways, forwards or backwards.”
Read next:
- Teacher caught drink-driving on way back from family camping trip
- Up to 60 new homes planned near Brecon Beacons National Park
- Man phones girlfriend during 80mph police chase - and he's in her car
- GP surgery sees increase in aggression towards reception staff
- The latest death notices in Carmarthenshire as families remember loved ones
Find out about the latest local issues where you live
