Dangerous loading tactics from trucks on our roads🚛
Far too often, in fact it's now a daily occurrence; there are trucks on our roads with incorrectly secured loads or worse, loads that aren't even secured.
The latest incident I have witnessed was at the mini construction site at the corner of Lincoln, Swanson and Great North road intersection - where Henderson Lock Services used to be.
A truck, fully loaded with rubble, came out, turned right onto Great North Road and then straight down Lincoln Road. The top layer which was well over the legal limit, was flying off in all directions and all of us had to hold back as to not be showered with any stones etc ...
The driver was totally oblivious and she kept on driving even though people were trying to flag her down.
I couldn't see the company name on the truck as a van in front of me blocked my view, but it was raining sand, stones and pebbles.
I honestly thought that all loads had to be covered in case of dangerous items i.e. stones, rubbish, wood etc ... flying off and causing accidents (or worse, a death) on the roads behind them.
Apparently one of the NZTA rules for loose bulks loads is, "Loose bulk loads being transported in a vehicle without a tarpaulin fitted should at no time reach higher than 100mm below any side of the vehicle"
NZTA goes onto to say, "Loose bulk loads should be tarped, netted or sheeted as appropriate whenever there is a risk of load shedding due to wind action or movement"
This also applies to the average Joe Blow on his/her way to the rubbish tips with their dangerously overloaded and unsecured trailers.
The amount of garden rubbish we come across on the roads or even MDF or rubbish bags (the list goes on) beggars belief.
Cover your truck & trailer and load folks.
Keep us safe and alive.
I have found 3 links with all of the relevant information, rules and requirements.
1. www.nzta.govt.nz...
2. www.nzta.govt.nz...
3. www.drivingtests.co.nz...
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!