As well as signing our petition against the restrictions on driving large horseboxes at weekends, you can register your support by sending a letter to your local MP. Simply copy and paste the text below and fill in your details:
MPs address in here
MPs address in here
MPs address in here
MPs address in here
Date in here
Dear xxxxxxxx
I am writing to ask you to support the British horse industry in our campaign for drivers of large horseboxes to be excluded from laws over compulsory and prohibitive rest periods.
We are, collectively, asking the Department for Transport and Vehicle Operator Services Agency to re-consider their recent re-interpretation of the law regarding horsebox driver’s hours and other related issues.
VOSA originally advised the equestrian sector that EU regulations governing driver’s hours for vehicles over 7.5tonnes would only apply to people who drove HGVs commercially for a living. But several recent cases highlighted in Horse & Hound have shown that VOSA has changed its mind, and is advising the horse industry that anyone with a full-time job must now comply with Driver’s Hours Regulations.
A derogation to the EC regulation has already been made for the Territorial Army and the horse industry is campaigning for the same. We have launched a petition (on www.horseandhound.co.uk) calling upon the Government to seek a derogation from the European Commission to the requirement (imposed by Regulation 561/2006) that drivers of horse lorries of greater than 7.5 tonnes gross weight must take prescribed rest periods.
While of course we understand that these rules are in place primarily to prevent accidents, we believe they are too stringent to apply to the majority of people who have a full-time job and then drive an HGV or vehicle with a combined weight of 7.5tonnes at the weekend for their hobby. Furthermore, drivers of horseboxes are more likely to be careful with their “treasured cargo”, a belief backed up by evidence from insurance companies that no accidents have been reported through tired driving (and published in Horse & Hound).
We believe that the legitimate pleasure of a large number of people be seriously affected, because it will be difficult, if not impossible, for ordinary people to take part in shows and events.
We would be very grateful if you would write to the Secretary of State for Transport and the Minister for the Horse at Defra on our behalf.
Yours sincerely,
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