During the Brisbane Truck Show, ARTSA and the National Bulk Tanker Association held a joint meeting that addressed how the implementation of new technology could improve driver safety.
“There has been a quantum shift in perceptions of safety over the past two decades. We used to expect government to regulate our safety responsibilities – as long as the vehicle complied with the design rules and was roadworthy then that was enough,” said ARTSA Chairman Peter Hart.
“About a decade ago, however, work safety regulators became pre-eminent. They required employers to identify the hazards, evaluate the associated risks and reduce them to a very low level. It may mean selecting vehicles that have proven safety technologies, even if they are not mandated.”
He explains that as customers have started demanding the use of the safest and most environmentally friendly equipment, vehicle manufacturers have been seeing more requests for specifications that include electronic braking systems, clean-burning engines and low noise levels, to name a few.
At the meeting, three major national fleets within the NBTA also advocated mandating trailer roll-stability systems within their industry sector. They said that the system has been proven to substantially reduce trailer roll-overs and if widely adopted, could greatly improve heavy vehicle safety.
“But government has become shy about regulating for safety technologies. More stringent requirements in federal regulations, such as the Australian Design Rules, need to be justified by a Regulation Impact Study,” said Mr Hart.
During the meeting, Scott Denning of OAMPS Insurance Brokers presented some key statistics from the latest NTI safety review (for 2009), including that 70% of heavy vehicle crash claims are single vehicle crashes. Driver fatigue as a principal crash cause had however reduced over the past few years, but this is still the principal crash cause in 10% of truck crash claims. Speeding combined with fatigue was found to be the cause in 40% of crashes; while inappropriate speed alone contributed to over 30% of crashes.
Mr Hart commented, “Whilst speed is clearly the driver’s responsibility, the questions need to be asked – what is the safety margin and can technology improve that margin? Better vehicle dynamic stability and braking performance might be able to halve the speed factor influence.”
According to Mr Hart, the top ten safety technologies with the ability to save lives are electronic stability control on trucks and trailers (TRSP), suspension seats with integral seatbelts to improve seatbelt wearing comfort, lane departure warning/intervention technology, adaptive cruise control that maintains a safe following distance, improved truck ride quality for both road handling and cabin comfort, wheel nut tightness indicators or locks, trailer side underrun protection, improved proximity vision using mirrors, cameras and infra-red sensors, truck roll-away warning/intervention, and power line proximity warning devices for vehicles that can be lifted above the 6m height.
“Each of these technologies have excellent prospects for success whilst being cost effective and practical for operators,” he said.
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