AU - Police Media release - Night owls keep on truckin'

[Carrots]

Night owls keep on truckin'

Release date: Wed 21 January 2009



Police have cracked down on truck drivers on the Hume and Western highways with a blitz targeting industry compliance.

During hours of darkness, members from the Road Safety Task Force Highway Unit intercepted 57 trucks and detected 167 offences as part of Operation Nightowl last week.

Police were disappointed to find a large number of drivers failing to comply with regulations which can put other road users at risk.

One in 28 drivers tested positive to an illicit substance in their oral fluid and a number were processed for drugs, including trafficking, possessing and using cannabis as well as using amphetamines.

One truck driver returned a breath alcohol reading of 0.048.

Truck drivers are required to have zero blood alcohol content whilst being in control of a commercial vehicle.

Seven drivers were working with cancelled or disqualified licences.

Two dozen trucks were exceeding the maximum 100 kph speed limit, in one instance a commercial heavy vehicle was detected at 135 kph.

Four radar detectors were also found during the operation which can be used to avoid speed cameras and radars.

Police discovered 70 cases where drivers had worked excessive hours or failed to make log entries.

Acting Senior Sergeant Alan Tickner from the Victoria Police Highway Unit said these are unacceptable numbers and police are seeing them all too often.

"Truck drivers who want to speed, use drugs, drink drive and flout the fatigue laws need to take notice of these results," he said.

"If you want to endanger other road users, police will catch you and remove you from the road."

Senior Constable Marty Beveridge - Media Officer

Victoria Police - Night owls keep on truckin'

[Carrots]

During hours of darkness, members from the Road Safety Task Force Highway Unit intercepted 57 trucks and detected 167 offences as part of Operation Nightowl last week.

Police discovered 70 cases where drivers had worked excessive hours or failed to make log entries.

Is it just me, or do a few things not quite add up here?

Any wonder the media get it all screwed up when they have to work with data like this.

God only knows what kind of skewed statistics can or will be drawn from this little gem of information.