11 May 2023

Truck handbrakes knowingly faulty - report

From Morning Report, 8:42 am on 11 May 2023

Authorities knew for years that some trucks had a handbrake so sensitive it could be dislodged simply by shutting the cab door - in fact, since just after a man was crushed to death in 2010.

But they allowed the trucks to stay on the roads.

During this time a second person was killed, and there were multiple near-misses when handbrakes failed.

Stock image of wheels of a truck.

Photo: 123rf

An expert's report has just been released to RNZ - Phil Pennington has been going through it.