The scene of a fatal crash on State Highway 29 where one person died. Photo / File
The scene of a fatal crash on State Highway 29 where one person died. Photo / File
With seven truck crashes on roads around the Bay of Plenty so far this month - leaving four dead and three injured - one veteran Rotorua truck driver warns there will be more.
The driver, who asked not to be named, has seen death on the road first-hand.
"It was in the late 90s I was driving a logging truck towards Taupō.
"The other guy was going too fast, he came around the corner, his car spun out and went straight under the front of the truck.
"He died on impact, but I couldn't stop for 30 to 40m and I just dragged his car down the road."
He said he wanted drivers to understand the consequences of their actions on the road.
"My offsider at the time was 17. I saw his father a couple of years ago and he still has nightmares.
"For a long time after that my heart would jump every time a car came around the corner and for a lot of truck drivers they can't get back into it, it's career ending."
Two people died after a truck and a car collided State Highway 2 near Pukehina. Photo / File
A Ministry of Transport study into truck crashes across New Zealand between 2012 and 2016 found 82 per cent of fatal truck crashes took place on the open road and 62 per cent of deaths were the drivers or passengers in the car.
The truck driver predicted New Zealand would see more crashes in the future with heavier trucks on the road and a shortage of heavy truck drivers.
"There is a likelihood of seeing more inexperienced drivers driving the bigger rigs. It's a lot of responsibility."
He said the roads couldn't be blamed for the number of crashes, it was "people not driving to the condition of the roads or the weather".
"It really frustrates me that speed is a factor in a lot of these accidents because that's something car and truck drivers are both responsible for.
"The main causes of truck crashes are impatience, having too many vehicles on the road and people letting their emotions affect their driving."
One person was killed in a crash on State Highway 2. Photo / File
The study also found 61 per cent of truck crashes involved another vehicle, and there was no fault of the truck driver identified.
Rotorua police area manager for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team Senior Sergeant Lex Soepnel said driving to the conditions was a crucial part of reducing death and serious injuries on the roads.
"The speed you are travelling at has the biggest impact on the outcome of a crash, whether you are able to walk away from it or not."
On the open road, 90km/h is the maximum speed limit for all heavy vehicles.
"The message to all road users is clear. Don't drive distracted, stay within your own lane, buckle up, watch your speed, and never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol," Soepnel said.
"It is also vital for everybody to have adequate rest breaks when driving long distance."
Truck crashes in the wider region so far this September September 3 – Logging truck rolls on Hemo Gorge roundabout on State Highway 30 September 3 – Truck rolls on State Highway 36 near Awahou September 10 – A truck and ute collide on State Highway 5 near Reporoa injuring one person September 10 - Two cars and a truck collide on State Highway 2 near Whakamarama leaving one person dead September 13 – A truck and car crashed on State Highway 29 on the Kaimai Range leaving one person dead September 13 – A truck and car collided on State Highway 1 near Tokoroa leaving two people with serious injuries September 13 – A truck and car crashed on State Highway 2 near Pukehina leaving two people dead
