Truck Speed Limiters in QLD and NSW
Recently the New South Wale’s government passed a decision that would ground any trucks caught speeding at 115km/h or more.
This decision was made by the NSW Roads and Ports Minister, Duncan Gay.
The decision has passed because of reports being made of defective speed limiters in trucks, which should typically restrict a truck’s maximum speed limit to 100km/h.
These rules will see any truck in NSW travelling at more 100km/h issued a defect notice and any truck going 115km/h or more grounded until the defect is resolved.
The Australian Trucking Association has welcomed the laws, saying that while the majority of truck drivers are professional and safety cautious, there are some who present a danger to themselves and others and should not be allowed to drive – especially without a speed limiter.
It’s certainly a step in the right direction, and you have to wonder if Queensland will pass a similar ruling any time soon.
While we here at Cannon Logistics provide our services to northern NSW, we also provide our service to much of Queensland. The problem with this law is that Queensland does not have this one. As of today, all new trucks in Queensland are equipped with 100km/h speed limiters. But for defective ones, there need to be more clarified laws.
A truck’s speed can be limited, satellite services can be used so companies can keep an eye on their drivers and ensure they’re taking allocated breaks, and the Queensland government has traffic monitoring cameras to counter-act any freight or logistic companies that are pushing their drivers for long hours without breaks.
Speed limiters are a great invention, but if they’re not properly monitored and laws upheld in Queensland like in NSW for faulty devices then that is simply not safe for the drivers or other drivers on the road.
For this reason we have taken the step to have our trucks checked at each service interval if the speed limiters have either been tampered with or are in fact defective.
Do you think Queensland should create defined laws surrounding defective speed limiters? Share your thoughts in the comments below.