VicRoads Targeting Heavy Vehicle Speeding

THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT is set to introduce new laws this year to address heavy vehicle speed compliance.

Aimed at reducing fatalities and injuries involving speeding trucks and buses, the laws will focus not only on drivers, but also employers and other people in 'off the road' roles who influence speeding.

Neil Chambers, Deputy Chief of the Victorian Transport Association (VTA), said this week that the new laws are expected to place a new focus on those who influence a driver's likelihood to speed.

""The requirements for drivers of heavy vehicles to obey speed limits are not impacted by these new 'chain of responsibility' (CoR) laws, and penalties still apply to drivers for failing to comply, including fines, demerit points, licence cancellation and disqualification from driving," Mr Chambers said.

"However, the new laws increase the obligations on all other parties in the chain, including transport operators, consignees, consignors, and the like, to take reasonable steps to ensure speed limit compliance.

"This includes ensuring that drivers' schedules, or any contracts related to the transport task, do not require the driver to exceed speed limits (to meet the scheduling requirements)."

VicRoads will hold information seminars this month to bring companies up to speed. Industry members can register at speedingreform.com.au for more information about the seminars.

The new laws follow reduced level crossing speed limits announced in June, in response to the Kerang rail crash in 2007.