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NZ Trucking : May 2017
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www.goclear.co.nz RUNNING ON SCR?... Dave McCoid As clear as night and day – to some G iven the situation as it stands now, an observer would be forgiven for thinking that resources in the broader highway patrol fleet are stretched. After dark enforcement appears to be on a ‘by exception’ basis, i.e. attendance at the scene of the accident is immediate, but random patrols between say 9pm and 5am, intended to stop the accident in the first place, are largely non-existent. A friend remarked the other day about an accident they ’d seen recently at around 5am on SH 2 south of Auckland through the Maramarua, Hauraki Plains region. They wondered how it could have happened on the stretch of road that it did. I looked at them incredulously and suggested they take a trip on that stretch of road at that time – “It’s akin to a scene from a Mad Max movie,” I said. “ There’s no regard for any of the speed limits, yellow lines – nothing! It has to be witnessed to be believed.” In the lead-up to John, Matt and me buying the magazine, I travelled this stretch of road almost every morning for 14 months and witnessed some horrifying acts of stupidity. Not once in that time did I see one highway patrol car. Moving into the South Island, one of the strategies for trying to stem the truck carnage currently occurring on the alternative SH 1 route is an increase in the night time enforcement levels. My thinking is that should have been an immediate response about 15 seconds after the shaking stopped last November and everyone looked at the map and realised what the alternative route now was. Like people getting into Auckland before the gridlock from the satellite towns, the first and most human of reactions to the alternative route was always going to be to try and make it work as close to normal as possible – it’s human nature, it’s definitely ‘trucking’ nature historically. What the government fails to grasp is that the bulk of humanity comply with laws and regulations where the presence of a deterrent makes non-conformance out of the question. Take away the deterrent and watch the level of anarchy rise relentlessly. People don’t abide because they have the self- control to conform, they do it because of the fear of being caught. Take away the enforcement and all hell breaks loose – across the entire social bell curve I might add. So at a time when there’s obviously not enough resources to deploy random patrols 24/7, and at a time when commercial vehicle incidents and accidents involving commercial vehicles are proliferating, the government ’s looking at a cost slashing restructure of the CVIU – go figure. It’s great to be able to welcome ‘The accidental trucker’ to the fold. In the vein of Old Trucker, Kiwi Trucker and The Highwayman, he’s going to offer one man’s view of the world and industry at the end of each issue under the heading ‘The last mile”. Looking forward to it immensely. adapted masthead.indd 1 8/02/ 2012 11:02:47 a .m . 6 New Zealand Trucking May 2017 EDITORIAL
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