The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) is calling on the Federal Government to compel all states and territories to provide comprehensive and consistent data on road trauma.
It follows this week’s release of the National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC) Major Incident Report 2025.
NatRoad CEO Warren Clark said while it was encouraging to see progress was being made – including the number of crashes due to inappropriate speed down 7.6 per cent and due to inattention/distraction down 1.6 per cent on the previous year – he noted there are still improvements that can be made.
”It’s pleasing to see some positive safety trends in the report, but there are a number of areas that need attention – and having access to the most accurate and timely data is critical to achieving that,“ Clark said.
”Decisions on improving road safety need to be based on evidence, and we believe the state governments, who receive significant road funding from the Commonwealth, have an important role to play in releasing the most accurate crash data possible so safety improvements can be made where they will deliver the greatest safety outcomes.“
Clark noted one safety area in the report needing to be highlighted: following distances.
Crashes caused by drivers leaving an inadequate gap around heavy vehicles are the second most common cause of accidents in the report – particularly in urban areas.
”Drivers simply don’t understand it can take a heavy vehicle 40 per cent longer to stop than a car and often don’t leave sufficient space to avoid a collision,“ he said.
”More needs to be done to educate drivers about leaving enough space for truck drivers to drive safely and react appropriately to the conditions.“
Clark pointed to initiatives like the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) ‘Dont Muck with a Truck’ campaign as an example of the heavy vehicle industry taking the initiative in improving motorists’ heavy vehicle awareness.
”We’d like to see initiatives like this being met with further government funding to improve driver safety awareness around trucks,“ he said.
Clark said it was also pleasing to see the report acknowledge the significant dangers truck drivers face.
“Noting that heavy vehicle drivers have ‘one of the most dangerous occupations in Australia’, and they ‘face high levels of unpredictability in the workplace’, shows what a difficult and potentially dangerous task drivers face on a daily basis, which makes it all the more important we all work together – industry, governments and regulators – to improve safety outcomes for all road users,” he said.
NatRoad acknowledges the funding and data contributed by NTI to help compile the NTARC Report and the ongoing work of the National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) to promote road safety.
