In keeping with TIC’s mantra of “Today’s Trucks: Safer, Greener, Essential”, the focus of our message has been to promote the safety and environmental advantages of new trucks available today. Much has been said about the environment in recent months, however transport and road safety is still the number one priority. According to the National Transport Commission in its recent “A Corporate Approach to Transport Safety” discussion paper, road crashes cause some 1400 deaths and 32,500 serious injuries in Australia each year, so there is much to be done if the ultimate goal of zero fatalities is to be realised. While the NTC is to be applauded in its efforts to engage corporate Australia to focus on transport safety, I can report to you that truck manufacturers have been playing their part to provide the safest possible heavy freight vehicles at a reasonable price.
While there were 16,368,383 vehicles registered on Australian roads at 31 January 2011, just 546,383 of these can be classified as “trucks” (that is non-passenger carrying vehicles with a gross vehicle mass above 350kg), or just 3.3% of the total. However, the average rigid truck travels 22,200km per year, and articulated trucks 91,800km, compared with passenger vehicles at 13,800km per annum. Therefore, the potential is there for trucks to be over-represented in the crash statistics. Thankfully, this is far from reality. Heavy vehicles are among the safest on the road, when combined with well-trained professional drivers.
Modern heavy vehicles are safer than ever, through a combination of mandatory inclusions through the Australian Design Rules (ADRs) and innovative features that are supplied by manufacturers voluntarily. A good example of the mandatory inclusion of proven safety features is the forthcoming ADR 84/00, which requires the fitment of an approved Front Under-run Protection System (FUPS) to all larger trucks, specifically those with a Gross Vehicle Mass of greater than 12,000kg. The mandatory fitment of this safety feature from 1 January 2012 will reduce fatalities and injuries to occupants in lighter vehicles that are in the unfortunate situation of a collision with the front of the truck. The FUPS is designed so that it activates the crash protection and safety cell systems built into the front of light vehicles, rather than allowing the front of the vehicle to ride under the bumper of the truck.
The common availability of proven life-saving features on cars such as anti-lock braking systems (ABS), driver and passenger airbags, pre-tensioner seat belts and electronic stability control has led to these features being developed and made available on many modern trucks, even though they are not yet required by ADRs. TIC members and their suppliers are spending considerable time, effort and resources to develop Australian-specific calibrations for electronic braking controls and rollover stability systems that are invaluable in preventing crashes and single vehicle incidents.
In the past, vehicle suppliers in both light and heavy segments have found that consumers do not adopt safety features readily when they have to pay extra for them. So, in an ideal world, safety features are best made part of the standard vehicle specification, yet improved safety is not cheap. It is pleasing to see that in recent years, many freight forwarders and transport operators are becoming “safety savvy”, and are starting to generate a customer-led approach to improving vehicle safety. The development of ADRs is not keeping pace with this situation, such that even the most common of recognised safety features, ABS, is not yet mandatory for heavy vehicles, except for B-double capable prime movers.
TIC will continue to promote the widespread adoption of proven safety features on all new trucks, and encourage smart fleet operators to adopt the latest safety technologies. The capital cost of a life saving feature can prevent the much larger cost of a life lost or permanently disabled, perhaps many times over. Both federal and state governments would be wise to adopt incentive programs that offset the incremental cost of life-saving safety features of new trucks, making them accessible to a wider cross section of the transport industry.
Phil Taylor
President
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