Chain of responsibility

What is the chain of responsibility?

The chain of responsibility holds that all the people who influence drivers' behaviour and compliance should, and must, be held accountable if that influence results in non-compliance with traffic rules and laws.

The other people in the chain include from those consigning the the goods, those receiving the goods, and company directors. Everyone involved can be held accountable and there are penalties that can apply.

The chain of responsibility is responsibility shared, not transferred.

Who is in the chain?

A person is part of the chain of responsibility if their actions, inactions or decisions affect road transport operations. This could include a person who:

• consigns goods
• packs goods
• loads goods
• operates and/or drives a vehicle moving goods
• plans the pick-up and/or delivery of goods
• dispatches the vehicle moving goods
• receives goods.

The chain can also include 'third parties', such as transport users or customers.

What are the influencing behaviours?

Behaviours that could lead drivers or operators to breach the rules or laws include:

• causing or influencing a driver to exceed speed limits
• causing or influencing a driver not to comply with work-time, rest-time and logbook requirements (including a failure to maintain a logbook or falsifying logbook records)
• causing or requiring a driver to operate a vehicle that exceeds its maximum gross weight.

What are the penalties?

A person convicted of a chain of responsibility offence can be fined up to $25,000.