Victoria Police’s heavy vehicle unit are urging truck drivers to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy ahead of the Christmas period.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Acting Sergeant Kellie Siakew said the unit patrolled the whole state and could be anywhere at anytime.
“In the last few days we have detected over 30 unroadworthy vehicles in the regions ranging from minor to major where trucks have been grounded,” she said. “That is simply not good enough. It is a recipe for disaster.
“It is extremely important especially at this time of year when the transport on the roads increases dramatically.
“Leading up to Christmas, there is a huge increase in heavy vehicles on the road as well as general traffic.”
Acting Sergeant Siakew’s message came as she grounded a truck on the corner of Victoria Street and Averys Road in Eaglehawk.
The truck had a number of roadworthy issues that included modifications that had been poorly done.
“This truck has had its engine changed over and it hasn’t been done well,” Acting Sergeant Siakew said.
“The main thing we are concerned about is the bolts in the steering box are too short and don't go all the way through the thread (on the nut). There’s just not enough thread there to hold the steering box.
“There’s about 2000 pounds of pressure on a steering box and if that blows at 100km/h on a highway, the driver has no control over the vehicle.”
The truck also had issues with its brakes and lights.
Acting Sergeant Siakew said the truck had been issued with a defect notice and needs an engineer report completed.
“The driver will also receive a penalty notice for using an unroadworthy vehicle,” she said.