10,000 licence holders and growing: why irtec is a must for technicians

摘要

In 1934, drivers of lorries could be summoned by the licencing authority to submit to a practical test of their competence behind the wheel, as part of the Road Traffic Act.Compulsory testing was introduced in 1935, which meant it was illegal to drive a vehicle in the UK without a licence to prove that you were able to do so.These regulations undoubtedly saved the lives of many drivers, passengers or pedestrians throughout the country in the years following and were the natural progression for an industry that by its very nature is inherently dangerous.Still, some 84 years after the introduction of a licence to drive, there is no legal requirement for vehicle technicians to prove their competence before working on HGVs or PCVs.If the vehicle itself is faulty, the ability of the driver becomes almost irrelevant. As the driver of the HGV that ploughed into a group of people in Bath in 2016 found out to his horror, it did not matter how skilful he was or how hard he slammed on the brakes; the brakes were faulty, and he was about to kill four people, including a child.