Editorial: Truck crashes demand review

What on earth is going on with the truck drivers on our roads?

I was astounded to learn this week that we had yet another truck roll over, this time spilling logs over State Highway 2, just north of Katikati, on Tuesday. It appears the driver lost control.

But I was even more surprised to learn it was the tenth accident of its kind in the Western Bay this year. That's on average one every 2 weeks.

In one case, a truck crashed off the Kaimai Range in atrocious weather on April 11, killing the driver. In another, the driver fell asleep.

There was more concerning news in yesterday's edition with claims by a truck drivers' union that some truckies are engaging in unsafe practices such as taking shortcuts and using stimulants.

First Union official Karl Andersen claims some owner drivers are under "immense pressure" to make a living, many are tied into contracts their boss can change at will and demands cannot be met without compromising the safety of themselves and other road users.

"This leads to drivers taking shortcuts, running bald tyres, breaking driver regulations and in some cases using stimulants to get through," he says.

Local trucking companies spoken to by this paper say that it is only a minority of drivers at fault.

Associate Transport Minister and Tauranga MP Simon Bridges says current safety standards are sufficient.

In 2010, 57 people died and 871 were injured in road crashes involving trucks. This was 15 per cent of the total road toll, while trucks made up about 6 per cent of the road traffic.

There is nothing to suggest that any of the drivers involved in the crashes this year were doing any of the sins listed by the union. One can assume most or all are still being investigated or before the courts.

But nonetheless, these local and national truck accident figures, and union comments, are concerning.

Every time we drive on the roads, we put our lives at risk. We are at the mercy of the thousands of idiots, drink drivers, careless drivers and poor overtakers.

We are also at the mercy of truck drivers.

One thing that always goes through my mind when a truck and trailer unit comes towards me is the potential for catastrophe.

Trucks can be dangerous. Their sheer size and weight mean a tragedy can happen if the driver is distracted for a moment or something mechanical goes wrong.

I am sure most truck companies and drivers are safe, but something needs to be done about those taking risks. These accident statistics and union comments should be sounding alarm bells.

This is a matter of public interest and the current situation is unacceptable. Are we simply going to accept that every few weeks a truck will roll over on our roads, potentially killing someone?

Transport officials should conduct an urgent review of truck driver safety.

It needs to be comprehensive, it needs to look at education, compliance and penalties, it needs to reassure the public, and its results should be made public.