Tailgating truckie busted

Truck driver who threatened to ram a motorist ends up with a jail sentence

By Ruza Zivkusic | May 19, 2011

A jail sentence delivered to a Melbourne truck driver today for tailgating is a timely reminder to drivers that they will pay for their actions, Victoria Police says.

Superintendant David Newton, who works as a transport industry liaison officer with the Victoria Transport Association (VTA), says the case of the 39-year-old truckie who threatened to ram another driver during an ordeal in the Burnley Tunnel gives the transport industry a bad reputation.

Geoffrey Robert Bartholomew threatened to crash into a car as he slowed his truck and sped up behind it in the far right-hand lane.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving after he was caught on CityLink cameras.

He was sentenced to eight months’ jail, to be suspended for 12 months. His licence was cancelled for a year.

"There is an indication that tailgating is going on and this gives the transport industry a bad reputation," Newton says.

"By tailgating people all they’re doing is causing the motoring public to be critical of the transport drivers and if they did think safely their reputation would improve.

"In this occasion it is an example where the motorist made a complaint and it was followed up by VicRoads; the office is always there if they’ve got issues, the police will take action like it happened in this case."

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