New laws to inform employers of driving offences take effect from today
Taking effect today, New South Australian road laws provide police officers with the discretionary power to inform the employers of truck drivers who fall south of the law.
Transport operators or the registered owner of a heavy vehicle can be notified if a driver is caught driving dangerously or recklessly, driving unlicensed or disqualified, or driving without due care. Employers can also be notifed if the driver fails or refuses to complete a drug or alcohol test.
State transport minister Stephen Mullighan has previously described the new regulations as closing a “loophole”. He says the measure “will give the owners and operators of heavy vehicles greater control and certainty over their businesses, as well as making our roads safer for all South Australians”.
The changes have been backed by a 10-year campaign from the South Australia Road Transport Association, with executive director Steve Shearer describing the new regulations as beneficial for all road users.
South Australia is acting as a trial case with New South Wales, Victorian, Western Australian and Queensland governments adopting a wait-and-see approach to the new laws, despite industry group lobbying for faster change.