4 minute read
Industry Comment
COMMON SENSE, MORE UNCOMMON THAN WE THINK
Why we need legislation on device placement in vehicles.
In 2018, an elderly woman was struck and killed by a truck in Auckland. A coroner’s verdict, announced in May 2021, suggested the placement of a computer tablet was a significant obstruction on the driver’s vision. In response to the finding, the Road Transport Forum said distraction was a big contributor to accidents on
New Zealand roads.
Having worked as a police officer in the Western
Australia Crash Investigations
Unit, I was shocked to see the photo, which showed the device placed directly in the driver’s forward field of view. It’s incomprehensible from a safety perspective, and screens are becoming progressively problematic in vehicles as there’s no legislated standard on their placement. And without a legislated standard, authorities rely on common sense – which is increasingly uncommon.
Having a national or international standard would largely eliminate confusion and enable compliance from companies and drivers to incidents such as this in the future. The way the laws are currently written is like telling drivers speeding is illegal but not providing speed limits as a guide.
Current laws only state (as far as the placement is concerned) that the screen cannot obstruct a driver’s view, but this is extremely subjective with so many different vehicle designs. It is due to the incredibly varied designs and sizes of vehicles – compact hatchbacks, large sedans, SUVs, small trucks, large trucks. Even within the same category, dash depth, windscreen rake (angle), dash height, viewing height, and similar, are all different. So, finding a place that isn’t obstructive to a driver’s view differs greatly, and one size doesn’t fit all.
If legislated, this would give drivers specific guidelines on where they can legally
By Chris L’Ecluse
Photo: Ministry of Justice.
place or mount a screen in their category and type of vehicle, providing compliance protection for employers and making prosecution for non-conformance easier for authorities.
As for how and when devices should be used, the answer is as little as possible. Other than for navigation, it should never be used when the vehicle is moving. All interaction with the screens should be done when stationary in a safe and legal position and the vehicle is in park or neutral with the parking brake on.
When the topic arises, it is common for policy-makers to revert to the auspice that current obstruction of vision laws cover it. The problem with that is it remains subjective – and, sadly, it’s not until someone places an iPad-sized device directly in their line of sight resulting in a fatal crash, that the shortfall is identified. Road Transport Forum CEO Nick Leggett said: “We owe it to this woman’s family to address what is safe and what isn’t.”
The goal of any safetyrelated legislation is to minimise risk and harm, and I am confident that specific guidelines on device placement and use will increase driver safety and improve the safety of other road users and the wider community. Use of screens will only increase, so we must ensure – through legislation – that they are only used when they aid in driver safety and do not become a distraction.
Chris L’Ecluse is a solution, safety and compliance specialist at Teletrac Navman.
ROAD SAFETY TRUCK
August is Health & Safety Month. After meeting with our partners Safe Business Solutions, we decided to do a month-long campaign to raise awareness that good Health & Safety practices in a workplace will ensure people get home every day after work. It is so important to ensure that your staff’s health and wellbeing is included into your normal day to day activities. Recently the NTA Road Safety Truck visited Wilson Bulk Transport in Ashburton. It was great to see the team at Wilson Bulk organise free flu shots, blood pressure and diabetes checks in conjunction with the Road Safety Truck visit. The drivers and staff participated in the Healthy Truck Driver and Trucking Along program then the Work Safe “Transport and Logistics” video was played, followed by the truck drivers completing a work sheet which questioned their understanding of the video they just watched. A full holistic approach with all the parties collaborating to make this a worthwhile event was very successful. The Health and Wellbeing of staff is the lifeline to any business. Knowledge is power so by equipping everyone with knowledge is the first step. Every participant received the Health Truck Driver resource book which is full of information about common health issues that can affect their ability to drive safely. They also received a resistance band to help prevent neck, arm and back strains. Cody Hunter showed them how to use it in a video that was sponsored by Teletrac Navman. They can carry this in their truck and use it in their breaks. So, thanks Wilson Bulk Transport, WorkSafe, St John and the New Zealand Trucking Association team on board the Road Safety Truck this kind of collaboration will save lives. ‘LETS DO MORE” if you would like to have the Road Safety Truck visit to bolster your companies culture around Health and Safety of all staff contact us!
Join us today! 0800 338 338 www.nztruckingassn.co.nz WWW.ROADSAFETYTRUCK.CO.NZ
