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No clues on truck rollovers on the Hume

VicRoads at a loss to explain truck rollovers on the Hume Highway near Wangaratta in Victoria's north

By Ruza Zivkusic | November 28, 2011

There have been 107 truck crashes on the Hume Freeway in the past five years but no specific pattern has been established for truck rollovers near Wangaratta, in Victoria’s northeast, VicRoads says.

VicRoads Regional Director for North Eastern Victoria Graham Freestone says the causes of incidents vary and can include loss of control, trucks running off the road and rear end crashes.

“Based on the crash data, no pattern is apparent for truck rollovers near Wangaratta,” Freestone says.

There are 22 truck stops between Albury and Melbourne, with eight of them located between Benalla and Springhurst.

VicRoads has recently received funding from the Federal Government’s Nation Building Program to upgrade the southbound truck parking areas to accommodate more trucks.

Chiltern Park has received $1.194 million and Bentons Hill $1.955 million for upgrades.

Parking areas will be increased from 11 to 29 at both locations, and Bentons Hill toiles facilities will be improved, Freestone says. The work will start in February and is due to be completed in June.

Wangaratta is connected by the freeway which is one of the country’s major inter-city highways and runs for 880km between Sydney and Melbourne and is a hotspot for truck crashes, a local mechanic believes.

Robinson Truck and Coach Maintenance owner Mal Robinson blames the condition of the freeway and the drug-driving for crashes. He says has seen many truck drivers fall asleep behind the wheel due to a lack of rest.

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