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Canberra Today 15°/18° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Truck blitz yields ‘dangerous’ defects and drugs

YESTERDAY’S multi-state blitz on trucks tested 5000 heavy vehicles with more than 2000 defects issued and 26 drivers detected positive for drugs.

It was Australia’s largest ever heavy vehicle compliance operation and involved authorities and police from the ACT, NSW, Queensland, Victoria and SA. Operation Rolling Thunder was in direct response to a two-day period last month in which three unrelated heavy vehicle crashes in NSW at Jackadgery, Cooranbong and Brocklehurst, resulted in the deaths of five people.

During the 16-hour operation police from all states and RMS inspectors combined:

  • Stopped and inspected more than 5000 heavy vehicles
  • Issued more than 2000 defect notices for a range of offences
  • Tested 1752 drivers for drugs, with 26 returning positive drug tests.

Commander of NSW Police Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, assistant commissioner Michael Corboy, said the sheer number of defects and the number of drivers testing positive for drugs, showed there were still too many dangerous trucks on our roads.

“To have more than 2000 defects issued in a single day within the heavy-vehicle industry, shows that there is a lot of work to be done to ensure trucks are safe on our roads.

“The fact that we also caught 26 drivers who tested positive for drugs is just a disgrace.

“While many trucking companies and drivers are doing the right thing and operating under the right processes, these results show that there are still too many dangerous trucks and dangerous drivers on our roads.

“While the operation has concluded, our work has only just begun.

“We will be following up with companies, drivers and operators who think they are above the law and we won’t stop until we can be sure that all trucks on our roads are safe for all road users.”

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Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

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