SARTA warns about the perils of mobile phone cameras after TV news footage shows close encounter between truck and cars
Ruza Zivkusic-Aftasi | April 20, 2012
The South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA) has warned truck drivers about the perils of mobile phone cameras after TV news footage showed a close encounter between a truck and cars.
SARTA believes the footage of a road train passing a convoy of vintage cars on a highway near Warnertown, which was aired on Channel Ten on April 11, was altered to attract viewers.
“They ran footage from YouTube showing the rig passing a line of vintage cars but they didn’t show the whole footage – they actually cut about six to seven seconds out of the middle of it, making the passing move look like a close call when a green van came through just after the rig went by,” SARTA says.
The group says three cars also came through behind the truck without causing any problems for oncoming vehicles. It says the truck driver was apparently called around by an organiser of the convoy. While SARTA says the manoeuvre was safe, it adds that the driver should not have moved out because of the presence of a traffic island.
“The lesson for all truck drivers and operators is that there are mobile phone cameras everywhere and they lead to footage on YouTube and other sites and it will often be misrepresented. So don’t just stay safe and legal, be smart too,” SARTA says.
“TV news shows thrive on guts, gore and scary stuff whenever they can get it, regardless of the facts and context.”
