RACV wants trucks banned from right hand lane on Melbourne's Monash Freeway after complaints from members about trucks tailgating them
By Ruza Zivkusic | May 20, 2011
The RACV motoring group is calling for a right hand lane truck ban on Melbourne’s Monash Freeway after complaints from members about trucks tailgating them.
RACV public policy manager Brian Negus says the complaints have significantly increased over the past three years.
“We firmly believe that banning of trucks on the right hand lane is the way to go. We get many RACV members complain to us about tailgating of trucks, particularly on the Monash Freeway, because the truck volumes there are very high.
“Fortunately, this is not an everyday occurrence but it happens frequently to be a problem and it is a key safety issue.”
He is calling on motorists to be aware of their surroundings when sharing the road with trucks.
“It’s important that car drivers are aware of the size and weight of trucks and the stopping distances of the trucks because that can be an issue; the truck driver can’t respond like a car driver can, so there’s two sides of the question.
“If think truck drivers are under pressure to maintain their schedules and some of them press the limits too far.
“Trucks are over 30 percent of the total traffic on the Monash Freeway and Westgate Freeway, we get so many complaints of trucks in all lanes and no one can go anywhere, especially in the up slopes in the tunnels.”
Negus’ call comes as a Melbourne truck driver was yesterday sentenced to eight months’ jail, to be suspended for 12 months, for tailgating a car in the Burnley Tunnel.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving after he was caught on CityLink cameras.