Industry calls for the PM to act on road safety

An open letter highlighting the need for greater road safety has been sent to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The author of the letter, Michael Byrne of the Toll Group, has said that the federal government urgently needs to address six critical areas of safety to reduce deaths on the roads.

Over the five years to 2016, more than 1000 people have been killed in truck crashes.

In his letter, Byrne outlines the following changes that are required to improve road safety:

• Have one rule book for heavy vehicles and heavy vehicle drivers across the country. No variations, no exceptions. This must cover a standard definition of a heavy vehicle as well as a national approach to: mandatory stationary rest times for heavy vehicle drivers, speed limits for heavy vehicles and a driver licensing system.
• Introduce a national operator licensing system.
• Enhance community understanding of how to drive safely around trucks, including through the graduated licensing system and education campaigns.
• Incentivise and reward safe, modern fleets with life-saving technologies.
• Make telematics mandatory for regulatory purposes.
• Draw on private sector expertise from transport operators in any discussion on improving road safety outcomes pertaining to heavy vehicles.

Currently, rules differ across Australia. In particular, the definition of what constitutes a ‘heavy vehicle’ is not consistent. Byrnes believes that the definition of a truck should be any vehicle 4.5 tonnes and above, and that having this clarity will lead to greater compliance.

In addition, the maximum speed limit for trucks between 4.5 and 12 tonnes currently varies from 100 km/h in NSW to 130 km/h in the Northern Territory. This should also be made consistent across the country.

Byrnes believes that a national approach to a driver licensing system is essential. This would stipulate the skills and competencies required to safely drive a heavy vehicle, including how to restrain a load and how to fill out a work diary. A genuinely national system would mean that licence cancellation in one state means cancellation in all states.

The community, government, enforcement and road safety bodies must also do their part to ensure greater road safety. Data shows that in 93% of fatalities involving a truck, the other party was at fault. There is an opportunity to ensure that drivers are educated on driving safely around trucks, such as safe stopping distances and overtaking, as part of licensing schemes.

To read the full open letter, click here.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Dudarev Mikhail