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