INDUSTRY OBSERVATION

Can We Really Self Regulate?

If more vehicle checks were done, more COF’s would be taken off unroadworthy vehicles.

I recently returned from Cape Town, driving along the N1 and was not surprised to find that little has changed along this national route. The roadwork persists, with frequent stops in excess of 15 minutes! Construction work on our major roads definitely seems to be done in fits and starts. Even some of the toll roads now look poorly maintained. 

Along the way, I passed two trucking accidents, the cause of which, I assume, being driver fatigue (straight road, no other vehicles involved, relatively straight trajectory). 

While sympathising for the drivers, I mulled over the much debated topic of 'self regulation' of vehicle roadworthiness and what the world would be like if people did not have to abide by legal requirements such as Certificates of Fitness. I questioned how many operators comply with this requirement through preventative and scheduled maintenance systems. I estimated that only 10% to 20% of operators do ensure their vehicles are in top condition.

These thoughts were corroborated when I dealt with a claim for a vehicle only five months old, a late 2006 model. I saw no indication that the vehicle had had any attention paid to it since new, not even a wash! Insurance assessors will tell you that this sort of neglect is common and a definite signal that operators are not conducting maintenance and servicing to the required standard.

But operators aren't the only negligent ones. I also witnessed a tipper carrying a very fine dust load (more like cement) which was cascading out of the tailgate, causing serious problems for pursuing motorists. It passed three traffic cops, without as much as a wave!

What if all vehicle operators were told they could be subjected to a 'spot' vehicle inspection and that any form of roadworthiness failure would result in the vehicle being immediately impounded? Surely that would help the compliance cause better than the existing paperwork charade?

Next month - "How personal experience nearly bought me to tears of sympathy for the eNatis admin tellers!"