Trucks targeted

A POLICE campaign targeting heavy vehicles is now underway.
Operation AUSTRANS started on 20 May and targets fatigue, speeding, drug use and other driver behaviour issues on major highways connecting Victoria with the country’s capital cities, including the South Gippsland Highway.
Superintendent Neville Taylor said police would place a greater focus on chain of responsibility offences in the lead-up to the introduction of a uniform Heavy Vehicle National Law across Australia this year, replacing the separate and differing laws across the country.
“We know heavy vehicle safety is an industry-wide issue, not just a police one,” Supt Taylor said.
“When we ran this operation in May last year we detected 665 fatigue-related offences and 135 chain of responsibility offences against company owners, operators and consigners.”
He said during the 12 months to the end of June last year, 225 people across Australia died from 200 crashes involving heavy trucks or buses.