As emergency services work to clear a North Waikato highway blocked following a collision between a truck and a car, one man with decades of service in both the Fire Service and Police is asking motorists to take care on the roads during what is traditionally, a busy time for emergency services.
With 23 years in the Police and 33 as a volunteer fire-fighter, Midland Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit (CVIU) team leader, Senior Sergeant Lex Soepnel, has seen more than his fair share of road trauma.
"The CVIU investigates serious crashes involving buses, trucks and other commercial vehicles.
"Over the period 1-23 January there were 52 crashes on Waikato Roads, nine of them involving trucks, the same number of truck crashes for the same period of last year."
Mr Soepnel said 7 January was the busiest period so far for truck crashes in the Midland Region his unit serves, with three crashes over a 24hr period, including two on Waikato roads.
"The biggest involved a collision between three truck and trailer units on SH27 near Matamata which saw one driver seriously hurt and the highway closed or down to one lane for over eight hours.
"From a Fire Service perspective, responding to truck crashes is particularly challenging in terms of resources and people. Many brigades in the Waikato rely on volunteers- people who need to leave work or home to attend call outs.
"Crash scenes involving trucks are a lot bigger, so it takes that much longer to manage and contain the scene. Heavy rescue equipment often has been brought in from Hamilton meaning the occupants of vehicles can be trapped a lot longer."
Mr Soepnel said the loads carried by trucks can also pose a risk to emergency responders.
"There may be hazardous material as part of the load or it may be unstable or have caused damage to power-lines which can all contribute to delays in getting to a trapped driver and getting them to hospital within that golden hour."
"February through to May is traditionally quite a busy one for us followed by August through to October. If we can get truckies to switch back from holiday mode to being road professionals sooner rather than later we will be well positioned to prevent trauma on our roads."
While most bus and truck drivers working on Waikato's roads act professionally, provisional analysis of 2013 crashes shows there is room for improvement.
"Last year there were 2,223 crashes recorded in the Waikato Police District, 163 (7%) involved trucks equating to a ratio of one truck crash every 53 hours.
"Following CVIU investigation, 100 (61%) of those crashes were found to have been caused by a truck driver, including four fatal crashes."
Mr Soepnel said the top five causes of truck crashes where truck drivers were at fault were identified as; speed, being too far right or left, failing to stop or give way, driver inattention and fatigue.
Of the 63 crashes involving trucks caused by other factors, the top five causes were; failing to stop or give way, driver inattention, stray animals, lane changing or overtaking and being far too left or right.
"From those figures it's easy to see that there are some simple steps that can help prevent crashes and the trauma associated with such incidents.
"Transport operators can do their part to minimise the risks by ensuring their vehicles are properly maintained and their drivers well trained, rested and alert. Most operators are highly professional and the CVIU and partner agencies are working to address the minority who aren't, through a combination of education and enforcement."
The same analysis showed the time periods of greatest risk on Waikato roads are as 7-8am, 9-10am and 2-3pm.
"This is particularly important when you consider thousands of new road users are converging on Waikato roads at these times with the return to school and the associated number of parents rushing to drop off and pick up children from schools or school bus pick up and drop off points.
"Well trained and rested drivers behind the wheels of well maintained fleets of vehicles are the best insurance we have against tragedies occurring on our roads and Police will be working with transport operators to ensure this."
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