6 September 2011
Forest owners say their thoughts are with the children injured in the collision between a log truck and a school bus near Ruatoki yesterday.
"The forest industry takes road safety very seriously, so this accident comes as a great shock to all of us. If there any lessons for the wider industry that emerge from the police enquiry, we will act on them," says Forest Owners Association chief executive David Rhodes.
Since 2001 the forest industry has greatly improved its road safety performance, reducing log truck crashes by 65 per cent and rollovers by 75 per cent, during a time of rapid growth in forest harvest.
Mr Rhodes says all major log trucking companies work with the Log Truck Safety Council which puts a big emphasis on driver training and safe loads.
"We also encourage all other road users to make use of the 0800 LOG TRUCK free phone number to report incidents – positive and negative – involving log trucks. All calls are taken seriously and are reported back to the driver concerned.
"But right now our thoughts are with everyone affected by the Ruatoki crash, in particular with the children who have been seriously injured, their families, whanau and friends."
[ends]
For more information on log truck safety:
David Rhodes, Forest Owners Association: Tel 04 473 4769 or 0274 955 525
Warwick Wilshier, Log Truck Safety Council: Tel 021 444 050
Forest owners shocked by school bus crash
Forest owners say their thoughts are with the children injured in the collision between a log truck and a school bus near Ruatoki yesterday.
“The forest industry takes road safety very seriously, so this accident comes as a great shock to all of us. If there any lessons for the wider industry that emerge from the police enquiry, we will act on them,” says Forest Owners Association president Peter Berg.
Since 2001 the forest industry has greatly improved its road safety performance, reducing log truck crashes by 65 per cent and rollovers by 75 per cent, during a time of rapid growth in forest harvest.
Mr Berg says all major log trucking companies work with the Log Truck Safety Council which puts a big emphasis on driver training and safe loads.
“We also encourage all other road users to make use of the 0800 LOG TRUCK free phone number to report incidents – positive and negative – involving log trucks. All calls are taken seriously and are reported back to the driver concerned.
“But right now our thoughts are with everyone affected by the Ruatoki crash, in particular with the children who have been seriously injured, their families, whanau and friends.”
[ends]
For more information on log truck safety:
Peter Berg, president, Forest Owners Association: Tel 021 421 291
Mark McCarthy, Log Truck Safety Council: Tel 0274 978 019
Warwick Wilshier, Log Truck Safety Council: Tel 021 444 050
Glen Mackie, senior policy analyst, Forest Owners Association: Tel 04 473 4769
