The Australian Trucking Association has joined the National Road Safety Partnership Program, with the shared goal to increase awareness about heavy vehicles and road safety.
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NRSPP manager Jerome Carslake said heavy vehicles are over-represented in the number of fatalities involving third parties and in majority of the incidents the heavy vehicle is not at fault.
“The sheer size and mass of these vehicles makes an incident with them often fatal,” Mr Carslake said.
“Other drivers don’t understand the realities of heavy vehicles. They just don’t stop when someone pulls in front of the vehicle, the mass means they need a longer distance to stop.”
“Trucks can take 40 per cent longer to stop than cars. Drivers may see the gap in front as an opportunity to cut in when in reality they are putting their lives at risk.”
Mr Carslake said one of the primary aims of the NRSPP is to bring sectors together, and with the Australian Trucking Association becoming a partner they can seek to bridge a “critical understanding” of how trucks operate on the road.
“Drivers of heavy vehicles are professionals, many are highly trained and passionate about their job just like an airline pilot,” Mr Carslake said.
“The goal shouldn’t be just to get around the truck as fast as possible because ‘my time is more important’, but instead how to do it safely, with consideration and courtesy.”
“In reality it only adds a few seconds to a journey.”
The NRSPP is a collaborative group that supports businesses in developing a positive road safety culture with the ultimate goal of “saving lives” on Australian roads “without the red tape”.
ATA CEO Ben Maguire said death and injury can have negative social, financial and economic impacts, and the trucking industry must make effective contributions in an attempt to reduce and eliminate road trauma.
“I’m thrilled to announce that as part of our partnership with the NRSPP, the ATA will join the 2018 Re:act campaign. The focus of the campaign being – improving the safety of young road users when interacting with trucks,” Mr Maguire said.
Samantha Cockfield TAC road safety lead director said it's important to educate young people because they're our most inexperienced on the roads.
"We need to learn to share the road with heavy vehicles and the best place to begin educating the driving community is when drivers are first receiving their licence, very early in the licensing process,” Ms Cockfield said.
"The NRSPP is incredibly important in bringing different parts of the community together such as road user groups, companies and road safety agencies to discuss how we all have a linked responsibility to make our roads a much safer place.”
"We all have a part to play in road safety and that's why this partnership approach is so incredibly important... we should be able to come together to create a safer road system.”
ATA chief of staff Bill McKinley said 80 per cent of multi-vehicle crashes between cars and trucks are not the fault of the truck driver.
“The problem is driver education and licensing doesn’t cover the knowledge required to be safe on the road around heavy vehicles,” Mr McKinley said.
“This is particularly important because young people, 18-25-year-olds are over-represented in road crashes.”
“Our involvement with the NRSPP above all is about helping car drivers between 18-25-years-old understand what they need to do to ensure they are safe on the road when they are around trucks and heavy vehicles.”
The ATA is the country’s peak body that represents the national trucking industry which includes state and industry associations, logistic companies and other businesses involved with truck technology.
Some important factors for drivers to note when driving around trucks and heavy vehicles:
- Do not overtake a turning vehicle.
- Understand where a truck’s blind spots are – if you can’t see the truck driver in the mirrors, the truck driver can’t see you.
- Do not cut in front of trucks, allow the truck space as they need a greater distance to slow down.
- Do not linger when driving around trucks.
- Be patient and courteous around trucks.
Other drivers don’t understand the realities of heavy vehicles. They just don’t stop when someone pulls in front of the vehicle, the mass means they need a longer distance to stop.
- Jerome Carslake NRSPP Manager
Symes Transport Bendigo manager John Symes said there is a need for a national television campaign focused on educating road users about how they should behave around trucks.
"Most road users drive very cautiously and maintain adequate driving distance but there are also very silly drivers that cut infront of trucks abruptly," Mr Symes said.
Mr Symes has over 45 years experience as a truck driver operating within the Australian transport industry.
"Don't always blame the truck driver.”
"If you don't drive a truck you might feel as if the truck driver is the problem, ‘he's big and bossy’, the majority of truck drivers don't drive like this."
According to the TAC in 2017 there were 48 persons aged between 18-25 that lost their lives on Victorian roads.
In total 257 lives were lost on Victorian roads during 2017 and so far in 2018 there has already been eleven fatalities.
