In the first week of Operation Austrans, NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Officers working alongside Roads and Maritime Heavy Vehicle Inspectors, intercepted 11369 articulated, rigid and B-double trucks, 121 road trains, and 257 coaches and buses.
During this time police issued 79 infringements for speeding to heavy vehicle drivers, 63 for not wearing seat belts, 20 for using a mobile phone whilst driving, 275 for work diary offences, 164 defects, and 627 other offences.
Roads and Maritime Officers took action on 1370 matters concerning various traffic offences including load, mass, restrain, defects, registration and other issues.
NSW Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, Commander of the Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, said that Austrans was a national operation, with police and road agencies across Australia and New Zealand working together to ensure compliance in the heavy vehicle industry.
“At a time when the Centre for Road Safety has reported a 48% decrease in heavy vehicle fatalities compared to this time last year, these results are proof of our past and continuing efforts in driving these numbers down further,” he said.
“Whilst the heavy vehicle transport is vital for the economy, it must be done safely for the benefit of all road users. Given the significant police presence on NSW roads, enforcement on all other vehicles has included; 4197 traffic related infringement notices, 2908 for speeding, 180 for restraint offences, and 404 charges for a range of other offences.
“This is proof that our integrated road safety activities are focussing on all forms of bad driver or rider behaviour in an effort to continue to bring down the road toll in NSW,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.