Police operation targets safety and compliance

Police operation targets safety and compliance in the heavy vehicle industry

Operation AUSTRANS, a month-long operation aimed at improving safety in the heavy vehicle industry concluded over the weekend (18 May – 13 June 2015).

Police worked in close collaboration with road, transport and safety agencies across Australia and New Zealand to address key road safety issues in the heavy vehicle industry such as fatigue, speed, alcohol and drug use, as well as compliance with roadworthiness standards and procedures. Almost 75,000 heavy vehicles were inspected as part of the operation.

Jon White, CEO of the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA), says this operation demonstrates the concerted and united resolve of police and partner agencies to improve safety in the heavy vehicle industry.

“Of the offences detected across both countries, police found 323 individuals driving unlicensed, intercepted 190 drivers at the roadside who were impaired or tested positive for drug driving, identified 3,271 work diary/log book breaches including instances of exceeding work hours and failure to produce documentation, found 1,518 instances of vehicles with improperly restrained loads, as well as 145 trucks detected with speed tampering devices. These are worrying numbers, and what is most concerning is that a number of these figures show an upward trend from the previous year.”

While these statistics are of concern to police, the majority of those in the heavy vehicle industry are doing the right thing and upholding their safety and compliance responsibilities.

“Although heavy vehicles make up only a small percentage of the total vehicle fleet on Australian and New Zealand roads, they are over-represented in road crashes which often involve serious injury and death.

“Police are committed to reducing the road toll and are out in force on our roads every day to play their part. Police urge all those who have a role to play – from the driver right up to the operators and contractors – to do all they can to improve compliance and reduce the number of crashes involving heavy vehicles and associated trauma,” says Mr White.

Operation AUSTRANS is part of Australian and New Zealand Police Commissioners’ commitment to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.

ANZPAA is the agency that serves Police Commissioners across Australia and New Zealand. For more information and statistics please go to: http://www.anzpaa.org.au/current-initiatives/operation-austrans

ENDS

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