Truck death widow fights for safety
The widow of a Bunbury man who was killed by a fatigued truck driver three years ago has overcome her grief to fight for safer conditions for one of Australia's most dangerous jobs.
David Tagliaferri, 44, was hit by a semitrailer as he changed a tyre on the side of Old Coast Road near Myalup in February 2011.
Truck driver Paul Kershaw was sentenced to five years jail on two counts of dangerous driving causing death after he hit Mr Tagliaferri and Dalyellup man Albert De Beer, who had stopped to help Mr Tagliaferri.
District Court Judge Troy Sweeney found Kershaw had been driving for 13 hours before the crash.
Mr Tagliaferri's widow Lystra will address a breakfast at Parliament House in Canberra today, calling for the retention of Australia's independent road transport industry regulator.
The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal was recently subjected to a Government-commissioned review, sparking fears among truck drivers and unions that it will be axed or its powers cut.
Mrs Tagliaferri, who lives in Eaton with her daughters Hayley and Caitlyn, said changes were needed in the trucking industry to keep drivers safe and protect everybody else on the road.
She said it was ludicrous that truck drivers drove for up to 17 hours at a time.
She could have just blamed Kershaw for what happened but she realised that other factors were at play.
"After I learnt more about what was going on in the trucking industry, it was a big eye-opener," Mrs Tagliaferri said.
A spokesman for Employment Minister Eric Abetz said the Government was considering the findings of the review.
Transport Workers Union assistant national secretary Michael Kaine said the RSRT was the only body with powers to intervene when transport clients such as major supermarket chains tried to force faster deliveries at the expense of safe and fair conditions for truck drivers.
