An inspection of 910 heavy vehicles and trailers in the central North Island this month led to more than 141 infringements issued.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Team and the NZTA set up check points in three locations from November 3 to November 6.
Drivers of heavy vehicles passing through State Highway 5 at Iwitahi on the Napier-Taupo Rd, State Highway 1 at Turangi, and State Highway 3 at Te Kuiti were targeted by what was called Operation Triangle.
In all, 165 vehicle defects were identified in the 910 vehicles inspected, meaning more than 18% of the vehicles inspected had a defect.
In Turangi and Te Kuiti, roller brake test machines picked up faulty brakes in 15 out of 58 vehicles – or 26%.
“We have rules in place to keep all road users safe, and we’re asking heavy vehicle operators to meet those standards,” said Senior Sergeant Lex Soepnel.
“Nobody wants a heavy motor vehicle, often weighing over 50,000kg coming towards you with defective brakes.
“It’s basic physics that large vehicles travelling at high speeds can result in severe crashes.”
The top five offences detected during the operation were:
- Not up to Certificate of Fitness Standard
- Road User Charges non-compliance
- Speeding
- Worktime/Logbook
- Insecure loading.
