Road Rage And Abusive Behaviour Concerns Road Freight Operators

Scoop

06-06-2025

The 2025 National Road Freight Survey has raised concerns about truck drivers facing road rage and abuse while doing their jobs.
The survey of 194 industry participants across 128 road freight firms asked respondents to rank their three leading issues, ranging from health and wellbeing of drivers to the state of the roading network.
Of the survey respondents who identified public perception and industry reputation as one of their leading issues, 50 per cent said their drivers regularly experienced abuse from members of the public while working.
These findings were supported by results from a survey from AA Insurance earlier in the year, showing nearly half of respondents thought road rage had intensified over the past 12 months.
Billy Clemens, head of Transporting New Zealand's Policy & Advocacy, says while most of the public view truck drivers positively, a small minority of road users were putting others at risk.
"Research NZ surveyed 1005 members of the public and found more than seven times as many people surveyed having a positive perception of road freight drivers compared to those taking a negative view (52 per cent to 7 per cent, the remainder being neutral).
"Transporting New Zealand's concerns about road rage and abuse are focussed on a very small proportion of road users."
"What worries us and our road freight members are truck drivers being harassed and abused while going about their work. Truck driving is challenging enough without drivers having to ignore insults and abuse, de-escalate disputes, and refer threatening behaviour onto Police."
Clemens acknowledged that trucks could challenge people's patience on the road, but encouraged all road users to show patience and consideration, and report poor driving to Police at -555.
"Trucks are limited to a maximum of 90 km/h on all roads, need additional time to speed up and slow down, and need to take particular care on narrow roads and corners.
"Drivers also need to park up their trucks to take mandated rest breaks. These factors can all contribute to frustration from other road users, but we encourage everyone to be considerate."
Transporting New Zealand is also responding to these concerns by providing practical guidance to truck drivers on how to resolve incidents of road rage and abuse.
This includes a session on practical de-escalation and conflict resolution skills at its South Island Road Freight Seminar in Christchurch on 28 June. The session will be presented by Protect Self Defence, with supporting resources and videos to be shared publicly afterwards, supported by the E. J. Brenan Memorial Trust.
Transporting New Zealand also continues to advocate for roading improvements that reduce the risk of driver frustration and impatience, including additional passing lanes, widening narrow corners, and providing improved rest and parking facilities for trucks and other vehicles.
"With a combination of education, roading improvements, and considerate behaviour, we can make the roads safer for everyone."
About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.
Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.