Taxi Cop’s roadside Christmas Eve inspections reveal high compliance bar tyre and signage issues
Updated: 1 day ago
PC Patrick Quinton, known as the ‘Taxi Cop’ for Avon and Somerset Police, carried out routine roadside checks on vehicles as part of efforts to ensure public safety during the busy lead-up to Christmas. The inspections took place on a Tuesday morning (Christmas Eve) and involved stopping around 15 vehicles.
Quinton noted that the majority of drivers adhered to regulations, with only one vehicle found to have an issue with its signage.
However, one concerning incident involved a taxi carrying a passenger where a tyre was found to be below the legal tread depth limit. This breach of safety standards is a stark reminder of the risks posed by inadequate vehicle maintenance.
In addition to inspecting vehicles, Quinton conducted eyesight tests on drivers, a critical measure for maintaining road safety. All drivers passed, avoiding immediate licence revocation by the DVLA, which is the consequence of failing the test.
The checks are part of ongoing efforts by police to maintain high safety standards among professional drivers, particularly during periods of increased travel demand.
PC Patrick Quinton said via his updates to local drivers: “I was doing my usual Tuesday morning road checks today, and stopped about 15 vehicles. Very good compliance rates, with only one vehicle having signage issues.
“Unfortunately, the very last vehicle I stopped with a customer on board had a tyre under the legal limit.
“As part of my checks, I was also doing eyesight tests. Everyone passed which is great because failing the test leads to a DVLA licence being immediately revoked.”
