Crackdown on truckies: Australia's largest ever operation

TRUCK drivers are in the firing line with the launch of Operation Rolling Thunder, Australia's largest ever operation targeting heavy vehicles.

The operation will be run by NSW Police, the NSW Roads & Maritime Services (RMS) and the Victorian, Queensland, ACT and South Australian police forces.

It is in direct response to a two-day period, January 15 and 16, in which three unrelated heavy vehicle crashes in NSW at Jackadgery, Cooranbong and Brocklehurst, resulted in the deaths of five people.

NSW Police and RMS inspectors are now conducting inspections of heavy vehicles at various locations across the state, as well as conducting drug and alcohol testing of heavy vehicle drivers.

Queensland, Victorian, ACT, and South Australian Police are conducting simultaneous operations to ensure all heavy vehicles entering and leaving NSW are stopped, thoroughly inspected and drivers tested for drugs and alcohol.

The operation will be ongoing throughout the day.

Commander of NSW Police Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, said the operation was an opportunity for police and other agencies to work together to ensure the entire trucking industry was operating safely on our roads.

"This operation is in direct response to three fatal truck crashes in the course of two days earlier this year, that cost the lives of five people," he said.

"We simply cannot stand by and accept that dangerous trucks are on our roads and are causing people to die.

"NSW carries the bulk of the nation's freight and we need to ensure that all of the trucks coming and going from the state are safe and compliant, and that truck drivers are not driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

"Today's operation will test the entire heavy-vehicle industry in NSW and across other states.

"We will review results from the operation and stop any trucks, drivers, owners or operators who can't comply with safety standards and road rules, to ensure all dangerous trucks are removed from our roads," Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.

Roads and Maritime Services Director of Compliance Roger Weeks said this is one of the largest operations jointly conducted by Roads and Maritime and NSW Police.

"Last year more than half a million heavy vehicle units were inspected and we will continue to work closely with NSW Police to target and remove unsafe vehicles from NSW roads.

"NSW has the most comprehensive heavy vehicle safety and compliance system in the country and heavy vehicle drivers who ignore the law risk losing their licence and incurring heavy fines."
www.bigrigs.com.au/news/crackdown-trucki...ver-operati/3323873/

Industry slams 'short term thinking' behind police blitz
A NATIONAL trucking industry group has slammed the launch of Australia's largest ever police operation on heavy vehicles, labeling the move as flawed.

CEO of NatRoad Warren Clark, has questioned the thinking and connotations behind police blitz Operation Rolling Thunder that was announced this morning.

While the industry group says they understand why the police seek to address road safety, they are concerned truckies are being painted as the enemy.

"The road toll is not going to be reduced in a context of blaming the truck industry in isolation for the regrettable deaths that occur on Australia's roads," NatRoad CEO Warren Clark said.
A NATIONAL trucking industry group has slammed the launch of Australia's largest ever police operation on heavy vehicles, labeling the move as flawed.

CEO of NatRoad Warren Clark, has questioned the thinking and connotations behind police blitz Operation Rolling Thunder that was announced this morning.

While the industry group says they understand why the police seek to address road safety, they are concerned truckies are being painted as the enemy.

"The road toll is not going to be reduced in a context of blaming the truck industry in isolation for the regrettable deaths that occur on Australia's roads," NatRoad CEO Warren Clark said.
"In fact, the statistics show that in collisions involving fatalities the truck was not at fault on 93% of occasions," he said.
"The statistics also show that in an analysis of truck crash incidents mechanical failures were inconsequential with a 3.5% incident level. In that context, tyre failure accounted for 52% of losses attributed to a mechanical fault.
www.bigrigs.com.au/news/natroad-slams-po...-short-term/3324114/

I guess educating the public cost's, where as defects and fines raise revenue.

Assuming the truck drivers were even at fault?

Jarrod.

EDIT: a bit of research; doesn't look good.

Doesn't matter if they were at fault or not, or to what percentage.
You drive a truck, you're an easy target. Oh, and there's always the old standby, Guilt by Association!
Dave

The corrupt state governments attacking truck drivers is just the start, now the TWU want to pay the illegal immigrants riding mopeds and delivering uber eats the same minimum wage as the drivers pulling AABs across the paddock because thats what they see as "fair", if only the transport industry had the means and the balls to get this country by its balls and squeeze really hard until the corrupt governments and state departments of corruption woke up.................. its a shame it will never happen.

.
To the general public it would seem the authorities are getting off their back sides and really getting stuck into things,
how wonderful, they all cry...........now we will all be safe on the roads...........
Regardless of who wears the blame for the road toll.......it seems more like a publicity exercise than anything else........
Think of the amount of checks that were carried out, verses the amount of heavy vehicles on the roads,
Would that be about one or two percent that were checked...???????
Hardly any thing to crow about, i would think............
......................Billy..........................

I see they found 2000 trucks with faults & ticketed them, love to see a complete list of the defects to see what was defected.
:woohoo:

Probably the usual "life threatening" issues, like blown light globes and minor tears in upholstery.

When random roadside safety checks started in Qld years ago (OK, this was for cars), the vast majority of "safety violations " were for empty washer bottles. They're a convenience item FFS!
I think under inflated tyres were next.

asw120,
In Victoria, working windscreen washers are definitely a Roadworthy item. When I took younger daughter to get her first car registered the lady Nazi at our nearest Vicroads office insisted on checking everything for roadworthness despite me showing her the Roadworthy Certificate and pointing out the date that showed it was only issued the day before. I had given up the previous day, trying to get the washer working and the RWC guy did not check it. Anyway, the lady Nazi decided that the bottle was empty and got a can of water for my Daughter. When Nazi was checking something else, I poured some water out of her can across the windscreen and when the Nazi saw it, she said "oh, you got it working then" and allowed us to register the car, after causing another 15 minute delay because Daughter was recipient of a pension and asked for the pensioner discount.

As somebody said "You can fool some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time."
Morris.

Granted, it's part of a roadworthy inspection. It's just not something I consider a motorist should be fined for. Wipers, brake lights, or indicators not working (if fitted), OK, I'll cop that.
Neither my car, nor my ute have squirters. They wren't even optional. I can't remember how many defects were reported (too long ago), but it was in the hundreds. Out of that, they found only a handful of real defects. One bloke driving a HD Holden with vice grips for a steering wheel, one bloke with an XC Falcon with only 3 wheelnuts on each wheel, the odd tyre down to the cords, that sort of thing. Stuff you should get pinged for.

Jarrod.