Almost a third of trucks and trailers stopped and checked by the DVSA last year were issued with a prohibition for a mechanical defect.
Prohibition figures released following a freedom of information request by Commercialmotor.com show that 31% of the 51,079 HGV and trailer checks carried out last year resulted in a PG9 being given to the operator.
Of the 15,815 PG9s issued between 1 January and 31 December 2015, 7,384 (46.7%) were immediate prohibitions, which are handed out for the most serious mechanical problems and often require the truck to be immobilised. The number of delayed prohibitions issued totalled 8,431 (53.3%).
The findings emphasise the importance of carrying out regular safety checks to your vehicle fleet, using products such as the BrakeCheck portable brake tester.
