A truck driver and trucking company are being investigated after a truck and trailer pulled into an arrester bed on the South Eastern Freeway in Adelaide at the weekend.
About 12.40pm on Sunday, November 21, officers from the SA Police Heavy Vehicle Enforcement Unit received reports from motorists advising that a heavy vehicle had entered the arrester bed on the South Eastern Freeway at Leawood Gardens.
When police arrived they located a rigid truck and trailer combination on the arrester bed.
Inspection of the truck identified that it had severely overheated brakes on all the axles. The temperatures reached were that high that they had started to burn and discolour the paint on the rims.
The trailer was also inspected and found to have an inoperative braking system. The electronic brakes on the trailer had not been connected and blocks of wood had been used between the chassis and suspension.
The driver, a 33-year-old man from Victoria, and the company – both unnamed in the police media report – are being investigated for using an unsafe vehicle on the road, failing to keep and carry a work diary as required and whether or not the driver used an appropriate gear whilst descending the South Eastern Freeway.
It is a requirement of heavy vehicles to be driven in a low enough gear to enable the vehicle to be driven safely on the South Eastern Freeway without the use of a primary brake, said police.
Both the truck and trailer were defected and towed from the scene.
Inspector Angas Yates, from Traffic Services Branch said: “The arrester beds are strategically placed on the Freeway to bring heavy vehicles to a safe stop in the event of brake failure or other emergency.
“The failure by drivers and companies to not ensure the vehicles are complying with safety and vehicle maintenance could potentially result in injury or death. Police will continue to monitor and enforce heavy vehicle safety compliance.”