News
Accident and serious injury data demonstrate that Australians are unaware of how to share the roads safely with trucks
in Western Australia – something not currently being met in our State's education system or road safety strategy priorities. Ms Stachewicz said this issue is not confined to our regional roads. Between 2015 and 2019, half of the people killed or seriously injured in crashes involving at least one heavy vehicle were in the
metropolitan area. In an Australian first, Transafe WA will introduce INSTRUCKTA - a truck and customised semi-trailer which expands into a cutting-edge education space. INSTRUCKTA will travel to schools and community events around the State engaging the general public with learning opportunities that utilise augmented and virtual reality. Primary school age children will learn about truck drivers, what they do, and the size of trucks relative to them. “Our programming includes fun interactive, consequence driven games. We then build on these programs for secondary school age children and the community adding experiences that explore truck blind spots, overtaking and road courtesy, explained Ms Stachewicz. “We’re taking road safety up a level in Western Australia, and using the awesome technology available to us to put the general road user in the truck driver’s seat and generate behavioural change on our roads.” While trucks account for just 10 percent of the vehicles registered in WA, they travel at least half of the more than two billion kilometres we clock up on our roads every year in tasks that support our economy and lifestyles.
million kilometres travelled, compared to 17.6 crashes for their conventional counterparts — almost 70% lower. “Not only are these vehicles equipped with the latest in braking and safety technologies to help prevent crashes, but they are also productive - delivering more goods with fewer vehicles in a safe manner. “Over the last five years, PBS vehicles travelled 1.6 billion fewer kilometres on Australian roads over compared to conventional vehicles to transport the same freight task. “This huge reduction in distance travelled means improved safety benefits
to our drivers, the community and reducing damage to our roads.” There has been significant acceleration in the uptake of the PBS scheme, with a compound annual growth rate close to 43 per cent. “There are now more than 12,000 PBSapproved combinations operating across Australia,” Mr Bruzsa said. “Further growth will deliver greater safety and productivity benefits, supporting a strong and prosperous Australia, and the saving of more lives on our roads.” View the full report visit www.nhvr.gov.au/ files/202105-1232-cilta-ntarc-review-of-majorcrash-rates-hpv-2015-19.pdf
“We may not realise it but we all depend on trucks. In such a vast and scarcely populated State they don’t just service major industries like mining, construction and agriculture, they stock shops and transport goods essential to our daily lives, said Ms Stachewicz. Cam Dumesny, CEO Western Roads Federation, says INSTRUCKTA is an exciting and necessary initiative in Western Australia, which is going to fill an enormous gap in road safety education. “The State Government of Western Australia has more than $2.39 billion committed to creating and upgrading roads around the state, to make our infrastructure safe for everyone. “But this is only part of the solution. It’s our shared responsibility as the WA community – the trucking industry, all the industries that rely on us, the not for profit sector, government and every Western Australian on the road – to learn how to safely and confidently share the roads with heavy vehicles.” Source: Main Roads WA Integrated Road Information System (IRIS), prepared by the Road Safety Commission. Table 4: People KSI in heavy vehicle crashes by road user type, 2015-2019
In the last five years, PBS vehicles were involved in 60 per cent fewer major crashes than conventional trucks
WATM • July 2021
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