A truck could face legal action following an incident that caused inconvenient and costly delays for train services and road traffic. The crash occurred due to an alleged safety breach by the truck driver, whose vehicle was in contravention of height restriction legislation, causing the truck to crash into a bridge. According to this report on Fullyloaded.com.au the police investigation is ongoing: A truck driver faces police action following what promises to be an expensive Port Adelaide bridge strike that has halted suburban train services between Woodville and Outer Harbour. The services will not resume until the Commercial Road bridge is replaced, the South Australian Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure says. That will not happen before next Monday. Road traffic will continue with contra-flow arrangements under the western side of the bridge. South Australia Police say they have “reported a 55-year-old man from Aldgate for heavy vehicle breaches following an incident at Port Adelaide”. Police will allege that just before 10am yesterday, the man was driving a truck carrying an excavator on Commercial Road that crashed into the bridge. “The charges include breaching height restrictions and travelling on St Vincent Street without Ministerial approval,” police say. He will appear in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court at a later date. “Police will continue a strong focus on policing offences related to heavy vehicles,” the force adds. The driver’s name and company were not disclosed. https://www.fullyloaded.com.au/industry-news/1207/driver-faces-bridge-strike-legal-action In a similar but unrelated incident a truck rollover caused delays on the Pacific Highway, spilling its load and backing up traffic for the entire day. The Pacific Highway has been closed north of Newcastle after a truck crash caused a massive diesel spill. Emergency crews are working to clean-up the spill and remove the truck from the site near Booral Road, south of Bulahdelah, with the north and southbound lanes closed. “There is an excessive diesel spill as a result of this accident,” a Traffic Management Centre spokesman said. It is not known if any other vehicles were involved in the accident. Motorists are being advised to delay their journey or choose an alternative route. With the large number of truck crashes and incidents on our highways the reason behind these incidents is an issue that warrants investigation. The main cause of truck induced crashes on our roads have been identified by authorities as:

• Speeding and tampering with speed limiters
• Driving while fatigued
• Exceeding maximum daily driving hours
• Exceeding load and mass limitations
• Improperly restrained loads
• Vehicles that not properly maintained and serviced

Speeding is a particularly dangerous practice in the transport industry as heavy vehicles are able to cause much more extreme damage than ordinary vehicles if they should crash. Speeding remains the biggest killer on Australian roads and costs the economy about $1.5 billion annually. Not only does speeding increase the risk of crashing but also increases the severity of the crash. Speeding also drastically increases the stopping distances needed to safely stop a problem compounded by the size of the heavy vehicle. Speeding as well as driving while fatigued can both induce crashes and are caused by drivers trying to meet deadlines and drive longer hours to increase their income. First and foremost employers and drivers should ensure they comply with the driving hours requirements in road transport legislation. Fatigue should be eliminated through control measures and planning, however this may not always be possible, in which case measures should be undertaken to control the risk of harm from fatigue. Measures include compiling rosters and ensuring drivers receive sufficient rest during long drives, preferably a 15 minute break every 2 hours. Exceeding load and mass limits or improperly restraining loads are also dangerous, as they can make the vehicle unstable and lose control more easily, resulting in roll overs. It also makes curves and bends in the road difficult to negotiate, causing the driver to lose control.  Other causes of crashes include vehicles not being properly maintained and regularly serviced. According to the chain of responsibility legislation all parties in the supply chain are responsible for what happens in the chain and along the journey. Truck drivers do not carry the full load of the responsibility and the two incidents above will involve an investigation of who should be blamed for the incidents – the employers, the drivers, the dispatcher, the receiver, the manager or the distributor?