National must address truck safety

new-zealand-labour-party

Wed Sep 14 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

National must address truck safety

Wednesday, 14 September 2011, 10:22 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Horrific accidents involving trucks in the last two months show something is desperately wrong with truck safety in New Zealand, says Labour's Transport Safety spokesperson, Darien Fenton.

"In the past two weeks we have seen two accidents involving logging trucks and school buses - one that resulted in traumatic injuries for children and another, just yesterday, where fortunately children were not injured," Darien Fenton said.

"July and August were horror months for truck related accidents. But efforts to improve safety will continue to be in vain as long as National refuse to recognise the link between truck safety and remuneration for owner drivers.

"In order to make ends meet, many truckies are resorting to driving outside legal hours, falsifying log books and breaking speed limits. While this behaviour is not condoned it is a symptom of a greater ill in the industry.

"In July, one truck company in the Waikato and its contract drivers faced multiple charges for falsifying their logbooks, exceeding the hours they are allowed to work and not having rest breaks. The NZTA described their driving up to 300 hours a week as being at the extreme end of offending.

"While action from the NZTA is welcome, National must step up and address the fact truck drivers are being forced into unfair contracts with unsustainable pay rates because of the method of contracting that persists in the industry.

"There's no excuse for breaking the law, but National's hands-off approach is taking its toll. Road transport drivers work in difficult conditions with no rights and no recourse when unfair contracts are imposed on them.

"It's time National supported Labour's call for an inquiry into the link between driver remuneration and safety in the road transport industry so we can get to the bottom of the all too frequent lapses in safety on our roads," Darien Fenton said.

Authorised by Darien Fenton MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

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