Police caught 290 unauthorised drivers, detected 327 mobile phone/ distraction offences, intercepted 151 drivers at the roadside who were impaired or tested positive for drug driving, identified 3833 work diary/log book breaches, 3122 exceed mass and/or dimensions and load restraint offences, as well as almost 1000 drivers caught speeding, in a 4-week blitz in NZ and Australia.
Police, working with road, transport and safety agencies across Australia and New Zealand, say ‘Operation AUSTRANS’ aimed to improve safety in the heavy vehicle sector.
Running from May 12 to June 8, the operation focussed on the heavy vehicle road transport sector on road safety issues such as fatigue, speed, and drug use, as well as compliance with standards and procedures.
Chief executive of the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA), Jon White, says that police prioritised their attention to unlawful and unsafe behaviour in the heavy vehicle industry.
“Of the offences detected, police caught 290 unauthorised drivers, detected 327 mobile phone/ distraction offences, intercepted 151 drivers at the roadside who were impaired or tested positive for drug driving, identified 3833 work diary/log book breaches – including instances of exceeding work hours and fail to produce – 3122 exceed mass and/or dimensions and load restraint offences, as well as almost 1000 drivers caught speeding,” White says. “These are worrying numbers.
“While police acknowledge the wider economic benefits of heavy vehicle movements, and that most drivers and businesses take their road safety responsibilities very seriously, these results highlight that some don’t. This must change,” says White.
“In spite of efforts to improve compliance with safety standards, there are still too many deaths and serious injuries that involve heavy vehicles.
“The unsafe operation of heavy vehicles can have serious consequences because of their size and weight,” says White. “Heavy vehicles can weigh up to 65 tonnes and when they collide with another smaller vehicle, such as a car or motorbike, the results are catastrophic. All road users benefit from a safe heavy vehicle transport industry.”
