Truck drivers complain of being blinded by people shining laser lights in their faces
By Matt Wood | August 23, 2012
New South Wales Police has stepped up patrols of a section of the Hume Highway in the wake of claims people are shining laser lights in the eyes of truck drivers.
The force says it has received a number of reports from drivers travelling through the region of Gundagai of having coloured beams directed at them from a distance.
Drivers have told police the beams are distracting and in some cases temporarily blinding them. One truck driver who collided with a guardrail north of Gundagai last month claimed to have been blinded by a flash of light before the crash.
Local officers have increased patrols of elevated vantage points in the area that overlook the highway. A spokesperson for the NSW Police says the last reported incident took place on August 21.
Anyone who wishes to report a lasing incident is encouraged to call 000 for assistance. High density laser pointers have been banned in Australia since 2009.
