South Australian police have completed their latest crackdown on heavy vehicle operators.

Officers from the state’s Heavy Vehicle Enforcement Section probed 127 trucks and haulers during the two day spree, enlisting the help of the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure to cover as many heavy vehicles as possible.

In total, 69 defect notices were handed out, including four heavy vehicles which were so non-compliant they had to be towed on the spot.

A South Australian police spokesperson said: “From a road safety perspective, heavy vehicles should be subject to scrutiny because their mass and rigidity contribute to the severity of the crashes in which they are involved,”

“Operations of this type not only improve the safety of all road users, including the heavy vehicle drivers, they also recognise and support the heavy vehicle operators that ensure their vehicles are well maintained and road worthy.”

Big rigs cover over 1.3 billion kilometres of South Australian roads per year, the state’s heaviest users represent 8 per cent of total road-use, are involved in 16 per cent of fatal crashes and 7 per cent of serious injury crashes.