Comments on: Safe Rates Safe Roads

By: Adrian

Adrian — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:22:29 +0000

Trucks are involved in about 26% of road fatalities, 10 times the so called “boy racers”, quite a bit more than alcohol and depending on whose stats 2 1/2 to 5 times “speeding”. Time for a sort out.

By: Spud

Spud — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 07:39:48 +0000

Agreed Darien!

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 04:24:18 +0000

Darien – we also need a new class of license for all commercial operators. Bus and Taxi, courier and truck and instructors included. I’m thinking of immediately given to current operators for 5-10 years, New and renewals (5yrs) need to pass advanced driving course (every 5 years) basic mechanical (first use checks aka pilots), and when lost second time never returned.

Its just been too long since driving was a trade, too often now its used as an employment stopgap.

By: Darien Fenton

Darien Fenton — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 04:08:25 +0000

@Westie : I’ve talked to some of them too. Many of them were employees, not owner operators at the time of the protest, but their bosses put them on the road. It’s the owner drivers who are really being screwed and that’s making the roads more dangerous for all of us.

By: Colonial Viper

Colonial Viper — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 04:02:27 +0000

You guys aint saying that chris is running a backward looking distraction tactic are you? One to divert attention away from the point of Darien’s post – worker pay and conditions affect safety at work (and in this case our safety too).

By: Westie

Westie — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:45:45 +0000

@Chris – I remember the protest and I’m looking forward to seeing another one once the industry works out that they are actually paying more in ACC and RUC under National. I’ve talked to a lot of those drivers in the past year and found all is not rosy.
@Tracey – you got it.

By: chris

chris — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:42:05 +0000

But it impacted their earnings – thus lower wages – thus an increase in our death and injury toll.

Thus the actions of labour would have directly contributed to the issue that they are raising as a problem now.

By: tracey

tracey — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:39:13 +0000

Chris – you mean over an increase in road user charges for the truck operators? That’s a kind of user pays isnt it? THey do disproportionate damage to our roads and they are asked to contribute to it. You should see the road damage around, say, Eden Park from months and months of deliveries from trucks laden with stuff.

I’m pretty sure this post is about low wages and deaths. Between July 2008 (date of ptotest) and today, this Government has had a lot of time to step up.

By: chris

chris — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 02:39:56 +0000

Given that the majority of trucks are owner operators – a lot of their arguments are with what labour did – remember the 4500 trucks that blocked Auckland in protest to the changes labour made?