The Road Transport Forum chief executive Ken Shirley says a spike of logging truck crashes in Northland is “unacceptable and intolerable.”
But Shirley also says the issue needed to be addressed by the forestry industry as forestry owners were trying to squeeze the best freight rate with trucking firms.
“Freight rates need to be set at a level to ensure the job can be done safely and in a compliant manner,” Shirley told the Northern Advocate.
“If there is pressure on transporters it creates an incentive to overload and speed, to try and get the daily trips in,” says Shirley.
The Northern Advocate reports the latest crash occurred in thick fog on Otaika Valley Road about 5.30 am on Wednesday, May 4.
An empty logging truck carrying a trailer traveling on Otaika Valley Road toward Maungataupere crashed off a right-hand bend, rolled and smashed into a power pole, splitting it in half.
On arrival at Whangarei Hospital the driver received treatment for a cut to his head and was then released.
A police examination revealed speed may have been a factor in the crash; the corner has an advisory speed limit of 55km/h.
The Northern Advocate says it was the fifth logging truck crash in Northland since April 11, and all – bar one that crashed near the intersection of Waimate North Road and Okokako Roads on April 29 – rolled.
The region has seen more than eight crashes involving logging trucks this year and Shirley says transport operators have to front up to a very dangerous situation.
“There’s been a phenomenal spike in crashes and as an industry, we have to get on top of it,” Shirley told the Northern Advocate.
“It would seem it’s predominantly driver error, suggestive of excessive speed, which is totally unacceptable,” he says.
“The public finds it intolerable, and rightly so – there are no excuses. There’s an obligation on road users to drive to the conditions, and that includes professional truck drivers,” says Shirley.
Stan Semenoff Transport Limited is the owner of the truck, and the company owner says an investigation will be launched into the crash.
Company owner Stan Semenoff told the Northern Advocate that he was yet to speak to the driver involved in the crash.
