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Section 59: Operators' duty to inspect, and keep records of inspections of, goods vehicles

Road Traffic Act 1972 · 1972 c. 20View on legislation.gov.uk

Part II: Construction and Use of Vehicles and Equipment

The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring the operator for the time being of a goods vehicle to which the regulations apply to secure—

the carrying out by a suitably qualified person (including the operator if so qualified) of an inspection of the vehicle for the purpose of ascertaining whether the construction and use requirements with respect to any prescribed matters, being requirements applicable to the vehicle, are complied with ;
the making and authentication of records of such matters relating to any such inspection as may be prescribed, including records of the action taken to remedy any defects discovered on the inspection ;

and providing for the preservation of such records for a prescribed period not exceeding fifteen months and their custody and production during that period.

Regulations under this section may—

apply to all goods vehicles or to goods vehicles of such classes as may be prescribed ;
require the inspection of goods vehicles under the regulations to be carried out at such times, or before the happening of such events, as may be prescribed;
make different provision for different cases.

Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of regulations under this section shall be guilty of an offence.

In this section " the operator ", in relation to a goods vehicle, means the person to whom it belongs or the hirer thereof under a hire-purchase agreement, except where he has let it on hire (otherwise than by way of hire-purchase) or lent it to any other person and in the said excepted case means a person of a class prescribed by regulations under this section in relation to any particular class of goods vehicles or, subject to any such regulations, that other person.

In any proceedings for a contravention of or failure to comply with construction and use requirements or regulations under this section, any record purporting to be made and authenticated in accordance with regulations under this section shall be evidence (and in Scotland sufficient evidence) of the matters stated in the record and of its due authentication.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.