Linfox founder wants trucks kept to one lane and for the speed limit to be cut by 10km/h
By Ruza Zivkusic-Aftasi | December 11, 2012
Trucks should be kept to one lane on freeways and the speed limit should be pegged back by 10km/h, according to trucking magnate Lindsay Fox.
The Linfox founder floated the ideas during a radio interview today to promote his campaign to have black boxes installed in trucks to monitor driver fatigue and speed.
Speaking to 774 ABC Radio, Fox believes the speed limit for trucks should be 10km/h lower than the limit set for other motorists.
“They all should be kept in one lane so they follow in convoy the same as they do in Europe,” he says.
“To do this, you will eliminate a tremendous amount of activity where people try and drive through separate trucks that are in three separate lanes on any freeway.
“I believe that would make a huge difference to both the traffic flows and the aspects of people changing lanes and getting hit by a truck.”
Fox, who says he has been pushing for the installation of black boxes for the past 10 years, has met with police agencies in Victoria and New South Wales to talk about the national accident rate.
He used the radio interview to take a shot at governments for their approach to road safety, claiming they “talk about safety but don’t act on it”.
“The reluctance of the government is the word ‘change’,” he says.
Black boxes are used in Linfox’s fleet and record driver speed and work hours.
Fox spruiked black boxes during his appearance on tabloid news program A Current Affair last month. He says the boxes, which cost $1,500 each, will reduce accidents.
The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) wants black boxes made mandatory for line-haul operations, but the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) does not support making them compulsory.
It says businesses can achieve safety gains with or without telematics.
