Trucks to undergo compulsory safety inspections from next year — should this apply to cars also?

TENS of thousands of trucks will be subject to compulsory safety inspections from next year as part of a scheme to get dangerous vehicles off the road. Should cars be tested too? VOTE NOW

As these two vehicles show, cars too could be subject to compulsory roadworthy tests, as trucks will be from next year in SA.

• Companies help truckies dodge South Eastern Freeway fines
• Highway blitz defects more than 20 trucks
• Police escort heavy truck with smoking brakes through traffic lights

TENS of thousands of trucks will be subject to compulsory safety inspections from next year as part of a State Government scheme to get dangerous vehicles off the road.

Motoring and trucking industry representatives have welcomed the safety initiative — and are calling for it to be ­applied to all commercial vehicles and private cars.

The mandatory roadworthy inspection scheme follows a series of horror crashes on the South Eastern Freeway and was recommended by the State Coroner in an effort to get dangerous heavy vehicles off SA roads.

Latest police figures also show more than 35,000 vehicles were issued with defect notices last financial year, compared with 30,000 the previous financial year and 21,000 in 2013-14.

The Sunday Mail can reveal a pilot inspection scheme will be established in Adelaide early next year, with plans to extend it across the state at a cost yet to be determined.

Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan said unsafe trucks “pose serious safety risks to heavy vehicle drivers and other road users and it is therefore important to ensure community confidence in heavy vehicle roadworthiness”.

“Incidents on the South Eastern Freeway involving unroadworthy trucks have highlighted the need for stronger heavy vehicle compliance measures across the country,” he said.

“Making sure interstate vehicles and local heavy vehicles using South Australian roads are roadworthy is a high priority for the State Government.”

Mr Mullighan said inspections would be mandatory for heavy vehicles and trailers over 4.5 tonnes and three years old — but there were no plans for “extending the inspections to light vehicles”.

Scott Quinn, vice-president of the SA Livestock and Rural Transporters Association, which is working with the Government to implement the scheme, said inspections eventually should be applied to cars, as is the case in other states.

Some type of roadworthy certificate is required in the NT, NSW, Victoria, Queensland, the ACT and the NT.

Mr Quinn said he regularly saw defective trucks and cars on the road. “We need to get these off the road,” he said.

“It can be a matter of life and death, and if we save one life by introducing inspections it’s worth it.”

Motor Trade Association SA spokesman Paul Unerkov said mandatory inspections were crucial because the average age of cars in SA was more than 11 years — the highest of any mainland state.

“The State Government and Minister Mullighan should be congratulated for introducing a mandatory heavy-vehicle inspec­tion scheme, which is the first step,” he said.

“The next logical step in the push to lower the road toll, reduce vehicle rebirthing and ensure consumers are protected when purchasing their second biggest asset is to extend the scheme to light vehicles.

“Currently there are a lot of cars on our roads which are unsafe and mandatory inspections will help make these cars roadworthy.”

Glynde Auto Spares owner Ron Lewis regularly buys cars for wrecking which are in such a bad condition they are potential death traps — yet they are still registered.

“These include a ute with nine wheel nuts missing, a Ford Territory which had four bald tyres and others with ­broken windows, seatbelts that didn’t work and bad oil leaks — but all were in regular use,” he said.

“All other car wreckers would see vehicles like this. They are death traps putting lives at risk.”