Haulage association urges motorists to blow whistle on speeding truckers

A leading figure in the road haulage industry has urged motorists Òto blow the whistleÓ on speeding truckers, following revelations that more than 90 per cent of all truck drivers break the speed limits in built up areas.

Jimmy Quinn of the Irish Road Haulage Association urged motorists who witnessed trucks breaking the speed limit to make a note of the truckÕs registration number and contact the gardai. ÒIf you see a truck driving at excessive speed you should pick up the phone and contact the gardai.

The association cannot defend truckers who break the speed limits,Ó Quinn stated. Quinn made his comments in the wake of a National Roads Authority Report, which found speeding is rife in the haulage industry. The report stated that 92 per cent of articulated lorry drivers break the speed limit in built up areas, while more than 80 per cent speed on motorways and 70 per cent break the speed limit on dual-carriageways.

The number of articulated lorries speeding on the countryÕs national secondary road network, where there have been numerous crashes involving trucks and cars has almost doubled from 19 per cent in 1999 to 37 per cent in 2002. Almost three out of 10 rigid trucks were were also found to be breaking the speed limits on these roads.