The Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) director of compliance and enforcement, Peter Wells, has expressed concern about the recent spate of heavy vehicle crashes involving shipping containers.
“Load restraint is a key safety issue for the heavy vehicle industry,” he said. “Earlier this week we had the third crash in as many weeks where load restraint may have been an issue.
“It is deeply concerning to see a third shipping container involved in a crash.
“The crash earlier this week on the Great Western Highway at Hartley, recent crashes on Tom Uglys Bridge at Blakehurst and the tragic crash in south west Sydney which claimed the life of a man have highlighted the dangers which need to be considered by operators when transporting containers.
“The safe loading of vehicles is vitally important to prevent injury to people and damage to property.
“There are also economic benefits if the load arrives at its destination intact and without damage.
“Large quantities of unrestrained material in a shipping container can often move as heavy vehicles turn. This can lead to the entire load becoming unbalanced, causing a crash.
“It is also important to ensure all locking devices which hold the containers in place are operating properly and are in good order.
“These crashes are a keen reminder to consider all the dangers when loading heavy vehicles and to ensure trucks are not overloaded and loads are properly restrained for the safety of themselves and other road users.
“I strongly urge all those involved in the chain of responsibility to do everything they can to protect the community, their drivers and their businesses by loading heavy vehicles safely,” Peter Wells concluded.
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