Police report that compliance from truck operators is ‘generally good’ – but the start to ‘Operation Austrans’ has been marred by fatal truck crashes since the trucking blitz started on May 20.
Nationwide, so far, police have stopped and checked 1079 heavy vehicles, targeting road safety issues such as fatigue and vehicle compliance. The vehicles checked include 13 coaches and buses, 406 truck and trailer units, 47 articulated trucks, 234 B-Trains and 379 rigid trucks.
Police have to date issued 93 warnings to heavy vehicle operators, and 363 infringements for a range of offences, including those for speed (53 infringements), seat belts (11), various maintenance/vehicle faults (90), and dangerous goods offences (10), with excess weight and loading issues (42 infringements) also a prominent theme.
“A very pleasing aspect of the operation so far has been the lack of any offences for alcohol or drug-related driving, despite police having conducted 866 roadside tests,” says the NZ police national manager of road policing, superintendent Carey Griffiths.
“Additionally, there have been no offences for dangerous driving and only one warning has been given to a driver regarding fatigue impairment.
“It’s been encouraging to see a generally good level of compliance, but it has been sadly marred by two fatal crashes since the operation was launched, and our sympathies are with the families of those who have lost their lives,” says Griffiths.
“Investigations are underway to determine the causes of those crashes, with the aim of learning lessons that can hopefully help prevent them from re-occurring.”
Griffiths notes there has been a noticeable increase in the transport of stock, as farmers moved more animals around at this time of year.
Police are using the operation to encourage motorists to be more aware of safe driving around heavy vehicles, which are not as manoeuvrable, or able to stop as quickly, as lighter vehicles.
“We need road users to become much more aware of the risks involved in sharing the road with heavy vehicles, especially around stopping times and distances. It is very simple physics to understand the much greater time and distance required for these vehicles to stop if something goes wrong.”
Because of their large mass – up to 65 tonnes, trucks are over-represented in serious crashes with deaths. Crashes involving trucks account for around 15% of the total road toll, contrasting with trucks accounting for only about 6% of the total distance travelled on NZ roads.
‘Operation Austrans’ is a joint Australia and New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA) initiative, involving police from New Zealand and Australian jurisdictions. It runs until June 16.
Majority of trucks compliant: Australian AUSTRANS story HERE
