The Department of Labour should prosecute employers who make workers use unsafe vehicles, says the car buyer’s Dog & Lemon Guide.
Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson says:
“The law is quite clear: employers are required to provide a safe workplace and can be prosecuted if they don’t.”
“Legally, a motor vehicle is a workplace, yet the Department of Labour appears to be taking no action against employers who put their workers at risk by making them drive unsafe vehicles.”
“For example, the New Zealand police are supposed to be at the forefront of road safety, yet they are still using Mitsubishi L300 vans, despite knowing that these vehicles are death traps.”
“The Labour Department regularly prosecutes factory owners for safety breaches, yet when the workplace is a motor vehicle, they appear to turn a blind eye.”
“Just a couple of days ago, Australian crash tests showed that the Nissan Urvan is another death trap, yet employers appear to be free to insist that their employees use these vehicles on a daily basis.”
“Many of the victims killed on New Zealand roads are simply people in the wrong place at the wrong time in the wrong vehicle. One of the easiest ways of protecting innocent motorists is to put them inside a safe vehicle. It’s scandalous that the government spends millions promoting road safety through advertisements, yet doesn’t practice what it preaches.”
“Am I the only one who thinks it’s weird that the government spends millions telling people to buy cars fitted with Electronic Stability Control, yet doesn’t insist that its own departments buy vehicles fitted with Electronic Stability Control?”
Matthew-Wilson adds:
“It’s not merely the current users of these vehicles who would benefit if they were safer. Today’s commercial van may be tomorrow’s cheap transport for a family in South Auckland.”
- ANCAP crash tests gave the Nissan Urvan one star out of a possible five for safety. The crash test scientists noted that the Urvan driver faced “a high risk of serious neck, chest, leg and foot injuries”.
Jim Roberts, a partner at law firm Hesketh Henry, has confirmed that Occupational Safety and Health legislation applies specifically to motor vehicles used by employees.
