Chester says there is more to be done to improve road safety
Infrastructure and transport minister Darren Chester has underlined the government’s focus on road safety in his statement during Australian Trucking Association (ATA’s) ongoing TruckWeek 2016.
The statement comes as the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) publishes a heavy vehicle crash study overview, which compares heavy truck road crashes with those involving light vehicles.
The Heavy truck safety: crash analysis and trends report examines heavy vehicle crash statistics based on factors such as severity, location, temporality and type of crash.
“Heavy vehicles are disproportionately involved in crashes involving fatalities, yet in approximately 80 per cent of fatal multiple-vehicle crashes, fault is not assigned to the heavy vehicle driver,” Chester says.
“Approximately 60 per cent of persons killed in heavy truck crashes are light vehicle occupants and another 20 per cent are vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists, cyclists or pedestrians.
“We all need to remain vigilant on our roads.”
Chester notes that although a gradual decline in fatalities involving heavy vehicle crashes over the past decade is an encouraging sign, there is still work to be done in improving road safety.
“Fatalities in crashes involving articulated trucks are trending down at approximately five per cent a year,” he says.
“Additionally, fatalities of heavy truck occupants are also trending down, at approximately seven per cent per year.
“But every crash resulting in death or serious injury is a tragedy for those involved.
“These life-changing incidents put incredible strain on the community, local emergency services, and other motorists.
“I would ask all drivers to take extra care during TruckWeek 2016 and in the coming months as we soon enter the holiday period.”
The report suggests that although heavy trucks account for around 2.4 per cent of all vehicle registrations, down from 2.7 per cent in 2001, they account for roughly 16 per cent of road crash fatalities and four per cent of crash injuries.
The full report can be found here.
For more information on the National Road Safety Strategy 2011–2020, visit the national road safety website.