Truckies taking speed to stay in work
A report released this week by the NSW Department of Health says that one in five truck drivers use illicit drugs in order to stay awake and complete sometimes impossible deadlines. In response the NSW Minister for Health John Hatzistergos has announced that the State Government will set up a task force to combat the issue, a move which has been welcomed by the Transport Workers Union. Spokesperson for the union, Michael Kaine, says transport clients are to blame for the high rates of drug use, because they place unfair pressure on drivers to drive dangerously long shifts, prompting them to rely on drugs to get the job done. And with 67 people dying on New South Wales roads this year due to heavy vehicle accidents, it’s an issue affecting all drivers. A former long haul truck driver, who wished only to be identified as Bob, spoke to The Wire about the pressures that forced him to take speed and lie in his driving log books.