Archive, Industry News

Truro crash victims family calls for end to ‘blame game’

Appeals for focus on safety rather than apportioning fault

 

The wife and family of a driver killed in South Australia’s Truro head-on truck collision have called for an end to the crash blame game and a greater focus on safety outcomes.

The aftermath of the incident, which occurred during a dust storm, saw a protracted war of words between enforcement and industry groups over the circumstances of the collision.

State police had been dragged over the coals by the South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA), which said the mother and uncle of one of the victims, Coen Fraser, had been treated “like terrorists” during a raid on their premises.


Read SARTA director Steve Shearer’s statement on the incident, here


Miliana Giles, the wife of the other victim, Brenden Giles, issued a statement via the Transport Workers Union SA/NT (TWU) calling for an end to the current system which apportions most of the blame on truck drivers.

“Brenden was a loyal husband, father, friend and colleague,” Giles says.

“He had been a driver for most of his working life, starting in the job when he was just 16, and he loved his job.

“He was very conscientious about safety but he knew that many truck drivers are forced to focus on making the deadline and delivering the load.

“Drivers should be allowed to do their jobs safely and come home to their families.

“There are too many drivers being killed on the roads.

“I’d like the blame game to stop.

“Drivers are copping the blame and fines for rules which put all the focus on the drivers.

“It just piles more pressure on and makes the job even more dangerous.”

The union also paid tribute to Giles, who had been a member since 1998.

It says it has been campaigning for an independent road safety watchdog to investigate risks to safety in trucking, quoting SafeWork Australia figures that, of 83 workers killed this year, 28 were transport workers, the highest of any profession.

Industry bodies have also previously called for an implementation of no-blame crash investigations.

 

Previous ArticleNext Article
Send this to a friend