A transport safety watch-dog says larger trucks on our roads will end with more drivers in the ground.

Transport Minister Craig Foss announced yesterday the release of a consultation document which could change the allowance of height and weight restrictions on heavy vehicles.

The Ministry is also looking at allowing local councils more authority to approve heavier vehicles and specialised loads. Minister Craig Foss says it's to enable the purchase of later-model trucks believed to be more efficient and safer for our roads.

But Editor of the Dog and Lemon Guide Clive Matthew-Wilson says the minister's spin-doctoring. He says the Ministry of Transport reports 23 percent of fatal accidents involved trucks last year but they only make up 2.5 percent of vehicles on the road.

He's questioning why rail-roads for freight trains are being shut down when the Government's own studies show it's safer and more efficient.

He says the proposal's being driven by the trucking industry and isn't about safety or the environment.