Truckies targeted

Truck drivers will be targeted by police as part of an annual heavy vehicle operation. 

Swan Hill highway patrol Senior Constable Neal Leach said Operation Austrans was coordinated annually and saw a focus on truck and other heavy vehicle drivers across the state for drugs and alcohol, traffic, fatigue and compliance offences.

“We’re not after truck drivers who are having breaks and doing the right thing – we’re looking at the people who are a danger on the road with overloaded trucks, dangerous driving and fatigue,” Sen Const Leach said. 

“We’ll be checking their major safety systems, do drug testing, check licenses are for the correct vehicle and make sure trailers are registered.”

Acting Superintendent of Road Policing Operations Stuart McGregor said the results from the opening day of the operation last week painted an alarming picture of drug culture within the industry.

“In Victoria, 295 drug driver screening tests were administered on Monday with eight heavy vehicle drivers returning a positive result,” Supt McGregor said.

“Alarmingly that is one in 37 drivers that just should not be driving on our roads.”

Sen Const Leach said it was a collaborative effort to enhance safety by monitoring adherence to road and operational safety issues in the heavy vehicle road transport sector.

“None of us want to think that the 12 tonne truck approaching us at 100km/h on the freeway is under the control of a person impaired by illicit drugs,” he said. 

Sen Const Leach said trucks would be checked for road worthiness and driver diaries examined for any breaches.

“Under a normal truck driver licence, a driver must not drive more than 12 hours in a 24 hour period, with required stops,” he said. 

The operation runs until April 1.