Fact Sheet 19 - Safer Road Users - Heavy vehicles

"Approximately 440 million tonnes of freight is hauled annually on Queensland roads and road freight is expected to grow faster in Queensland than any other state over the next 20 years" (Queensland Transport 2008, p23).

In Queensland during 2008 there were 76 fatalities as a result of crashes involving heavy freight vehicles, which represented 23.2% of the Queensland road toll (Data Analysis Unit 2009). This was 11 fatalities (or 16.9%) greater than the previous year and 24 fatalities (or 46.7%) greater than the previous five-year average of 52 (Data Analysis Unit 2009). Of the 76 fatalities, 14 fatalities (or 18.4%) were heavy freight vehicle drivers, three fatalities (or 3.9%) were passengers of heavy freight vehicles, and 59 fatalities (or 77.6%) were other road users (drivers, riders, passengers, pedestrians or bicycle riders) (Data Analysis Unit 2009).

"Research shows that truck drivers are responsible (or partly responsible) for only 38% of crashes involving trucks, which means that the responsibility needs to be shared by the community, the road transport industry and associated industries, and government" (NTC 2006, p17).

It is not surprising that, due to their size and mass, when heavy vehicles are involved in crashes with smaller vehicles, it is often occupants of the smaller vehicles who sustain the most severe injuries. This often results in the occupants of smaller vehicles and more vulnerable road users seeing larger vehicles as more of a threat or ‘more aggressive’ than they actually are.

"Aggressive driving behaviours of drivers in trucks or buses" was identified as the second most annoying road user behaviour overall in the RACQ’s 2006 What Cheeses You Off? Survey, to which more than 4,500 Queenslanders responded.

However, in the similar 2009 Pet Peeves survey, which received over 10,000 responses, this behaviour was ranked only 11th overall most annoying/ concerning (Traffic and Safety Department 2009).

For the heavy vehicle drivers who responded to the 2009 Pet Peeves survey, the top five most annoying behaviours were:

• Drivers who increase their speed when you try to overtake them;
  
  
• Drivers/riders who incorrectly use indicators, e.g., indicate too late, fail to indicate at all or fail to turn indicators off;
  
  
• Cyclists who blatantly disobey road rules, e.g., ‘running’ red lights, failing to wear helmets, failing to use appropriate lights at night;
  
  
• Drivers talking/sending text messages on hand-held mobile phones; and
  
  
• Drivers/riders who turn from the wrong lane, e.g., at multi-lane roundabouts.

These results appear to indicate that many heavy vehicle drivers are aware of the vulnerability of other road users if they are involved in a crash with them, and that they are concerned about the behaviour of other road users which may impact on their ability to accelerate, stop and change direction (all of which take longer in a heavy vehicle). Heavy vehicle drivers do not appear to be greatly concerned about aggressive driver behaviours such as tailgating and other bullying tactics (Traffic and Safety Department 2009).

Heavy vehicle drivers can help to improve their chances of survival in crashes by wearing seatbelts. The National Transport Commission (2006, p3, p6) has identified that across Australia, some 40 unbelted truck drivers die on the roads each year.

Bus travel is one of the safest ways to travel on a road – much safer than car travel. "Per kilometre of travel, bus occupants are killed at a rate 1.7 times less than car occupants" (RACV 2009) and the injuries and fatalities suffered by third parties in crashes involving buses are significantly greater than for bus occupants (RACV 2009).

The Federal Government provides a subsidy to fit lap/sash seatbelts and associated engineering work to eligible new or existing school buses. Operators must have an existing contract with a State/Territory government to provide school bus services on recognised rural and regional bus routes (identified as high risk) on roads that include speeds of over 80km/h and do not fall within a state capital metropolitan area (Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government 2008).

In Queensland, the focus has been on achieving better roll-over compliance in buses due to the more severe injuries being sustained by bus occupants in roll-over crashes. The Queensland Government also offers subsidies to help upgrade existing buses for roll-over compliance, fund the fitting of seatbelts and/or help replace older buses with newer, roll-over compliant models depending on the risk environment in which the vehicle is used. As with the Federal Government’s scheme, the Queensland Government’s scheme applies to contracted school buses (of which there are some 2,000 in the state).

The RACQ believes that retro-fitting seat belts to buses already in service is not necessarily the most cost-effective option for improving passenger safety, given the low injury and fatality rates currently associated with bus travel as well as the practicality and very large expense required to carry out such a program.

In Queensland light buses (under five tonnes GVM) that are more than 20 years old and heavy buses (more than five tonnes GVM) that are more than 25 years old (30 years old with special extension) can no longer be used for passenger services. Considering this, the resources needed to retro-fit seatbelts into buses near the end of their working lives may be better utilised replacing such buses with newer, safer vehicles.

The Club supports the RACV’s (2009) view, however, that schools chartering buses should specify buses fitted with seat belts.

In the Queensland Road Safety Action Plan 2008-2009: safe4life the Queensland Government planned a range of actions in relation to heavy vehicles, including new fatigue management laws, obligations relating to speeding under chain of responsibility laws and new mass, dimension and loading sanctions (Queensland Transport 2008, p23-24).

The National Transport Commission has identified that a "significant improvement in general road safety, and the safety of heavy vehicle operations in particular, can be achieved by the construction of divided highways, removal of roadside hazards, and the provision of low cost safety treatments such as shoulder-sealing and audio-tactile edge lining. Selective investment in roads with high truck volumes will pay off in terms of reduced crashes involving heavy vehicles, particularly for the high percentage of multi-vehicle crashes for which passenger vehicle drivers are responsible" (NTC 2006, p8).

Control of heavy vehicle speeds is also important for reducing the number of crashes that do occur, and their severity. The National Transport Commission (2006, p4) reports that: "The Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland (CVIAQ) has developed a guideline on the maintenance of speed limiters, to assist with compliance with Australian Design Rule 65 (Maximum Road Speed Limiting for Heavy Goods Vehicles and Heavy Omnibuses) and NSW has recently introduced legislation under which any heavy vehicle detected traveling at 115km/h will be deemed to have a speed limiter which is not functioning correctly. Heavy penalties will be incurred by the person responsible for the vehicle."

Priorities: Heavy vehicles

1. Develop and introduce public education campaigns to increase awareness of the risks for heavy vehicle drivers and all road users who interact with heavy vehicles, and promote a ‘sharing the road’ approach to road use for both heavy vehicle drivers and other road users.
   
   
2. Continue to enforce all road rules for heavy vehicle drivers and undertake specific, highly-visible enforcement campaigns focussing on deterring and detecting drink driving, seatbelt misuse, speeding, drug use, fatigue, chain of responsibility, roadworthiness, mass, loading and dimensions and workplace health and safety laws for heavy vehicle drivers.
   
   
3. Improve heavy vehicle speed limit compliance by:
   
   
   • Continuing to improve the effectiveness of speed limiting through better device performance, allowing less opportunity for tampering and regular checks to ensure compliance and device integrity;
   • Introducing and enforcing chain of responsibility laws in relation to speeding; and
   • Investigating the potential for introducing intelligent speed adaptation systems for heavy vehicles.
     
     
4. Investigate and fast-track the development and introduction of electronic stability control in new heavy vehicles.
   
   
5. Expand the use of technology to assist in detecting and enforcing against overweight heavy vehicles, e.g., weigh-in-motion equipment.
   
   
6. Continue to ensure that the needs and characteristics of heavy vehicles are catered for when building and upgrading roads, especially those with high levels of heavy vehicle traffic and/or crashes and increase in the number of rest areas designed for heavy vehicles.
   
   
7. Continue to expand the use of road-based fatigue countermeasures including crash prevention e.g., audible edge lines, shoulder sealing, and harm minimisation, e.g., divided roads, barriers, clear zones.
   
   
8. Fit lap/sash seatbelts to the driver’s seat of all heavy vehicles, including buses and conduct education campaigns to encourage all heavy vehicle drivers (and those in their chain of responsibility) to ensure seatbelts are worn. Support education efforts with better enforcement of seatbelt wearing for heavy vehicle drivers, and encourage the fitment of seatbelt reminders to heavy vehicles.
   
   
9. Fit under-run protection to all new heavy vehicles and retrofit to existing heavy vehicles to help protect occupants of smaller vehicles who are involved in crashes.
   
   
10. Continue targeted enforcement of drug driving for heavy vehicle drivers to help reduce drug use, in particular stimulant use. Support this through encouraging the heavy vehicle industry to promote the introduction of organisational drug policies to help reduce the unsafe practices that may contribute to drug use (e.g., management requirements).
    
    
11. Ensure compliance with chain of responsibility requirements and conduct education programs to encourage compliance.
    
    
12. Monitor all crashes involving heavy vehicles and, through research, identify areas for improvement that will provide the greatest safety benefits.
    
    
13. Continue to work with the bus industry to improve safety around buses, through improved signage, education and policies.

References

Data Analysis Unit 2009, Personal Correspondence to RACQ, 03/06/09, Queensland Transport, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government 2008, Seatbelts for Kids: Eligibility, Web Document, Accessed 18/03/09: http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/seatbeltsforkids/eligibility.aspx#who

Market and Communications Research December 2008, RACQ Safety Policy Survey: Quantitative Research Report, Market and Communications Research, Spring Hill, Queensland, Australia.

National Transport Commission 2006, National Heavy Vehicle Safety Action Plan: 2005 – 2007, National Transport Commission, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Queensland Transport 2008, Queensland Road Safety Action Plan 2008-2009: safe4life, Queensland Government, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

RACV 2009, my car: bus safety, RACV, Web Document, Accessed 18/03/09: http://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/Internet/Primary/my+car/car+safety/safety+advice/bus+safety

Traffic and Safety Department 2009, 2009 Pet Peeves Survey Results Report, RACQ, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Contact

For more information contact RACQ Traffic and Safety on 1300 853 658 or 07 3872 8925, or email traffic@racq.com.au