Who is more likely to lose a load on a public road, a truckie or tradie?
A Tradie uses public roads for a commercial benefit, ie to get to a work site with their materials and tools. A truckie uses a public road to deliver goods to a site.
So what is the difference, both are deriving a commercial benefit from the carriage of goods to a worksite.
So why are Tradies NOT included in the Chain of Responsibility legislation?
Simply because they drive utes not trucks!
Yet your more likely to hit or collect debris dropped from a Tradie’s vehicle than a truck, (wheel barrows, paint tins, ladders, timber or pipes etc.)
WA Got it Right!
Western Australia was smart in that it extended the Chain of Responsibility legislation by eliminating the ridiculous 4.5 tonne barrier for application of the law.
Tradies operate as companies or sub-contractors being engaged by other commercial parties, whose demands can influence the driving behaviour of the tradie.
Driving behaviour that includes:
Over length loads: One client tells the story of a tradie collecting an 8 metre length of purling and tying it under his small vehicle – so that it looked like a jousting stick. How many times have you seen a Tradie Vehicle with incredibly long lengths of materials sticking out from their ute? Would a truckie be allowed to do this?
Unsecured Loads: If you want to renovate your house – simply hire a ute and drive around the Western ring road of Melbourne. After a couple of laps you will have collected everything from the Paint you need, to wheel barrows, timber, piping etc all laying on the side of the freeway (or on it) dropped from the back of a Tradies vehicles.
Extend the Liability
In the same way consignors and consignees of heavy vehicle transport loads are held to account under Chain of Responsibility, so should their equivalents in the construction and maintenance industry who employ tradies to deliver goods.
That is Why Western Australia got it right!- Read Why Eastern States will adopt WA Chain of Responsibility legislation.
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