‘You shake your head’: Truckie slams Australian driver attitudes
A South Australian truck driver says he isn’t surprised new figures show drivers, not truckies, are to blame in the majority of car and truck collisions.
Driver inattention, careless driving and reckless motorists cause a staggering 80 per cent of car and truck crash fatalities, the figures show.
After more than half a century of near misses, veteran truck driver Gary Stewart says he still shakes his head at driver behaviour.
“You’re ready to take evasive action,” he said.
“(Near misses) are an every day occurrence.”
According to South Australian road traffic figures, 88 people have died in crashes involving trucks in the past five years.
Safety experts fear drivers are unaware it takes a full 200m for large trucks to come to a standstill.
“It’s just madness,” Road Transport Association spokesperson Steve Shearer said.
“A motorist who’s impatient, they risk their lives to save 10 seconds on the road.”
