Road transport is one of the economic lifelines of the nation, with New South Wales as the hub of heavy vehicle traffic across Australia. The carriage of goods by trucks across the State's network of highways involves a complex set of transactions between individual transport companies, government regulators, the trucking industry and vehicle drivers. Decisions have to be made about the scheduling, dispatch and delivery of goods and the maintenance and upkeep of vehicles. From a safety point of view, the most vulnerable link in the transport chain is the vehicle driver who may have worked long hours, often at night, with minimal rest breaks. Speed contributes to a majority of crash injuries and fatalities, further exacerbated by sleep deprivation and fatigue. The impact of heavy vehicle crashes is severe and can be catastrophic for individuals, families, communities, the business sector and the nation as a whole. Responsibility for the safe management of vehicles resides with government, the transport industry and vehicle operators. This report deals with the inadequacy of an historically piecemeal approach to heavy vehicle safety regulation. While NSW has had one of the best regulated occupational health and safety and driver fatigue management regimes in Australia, vehicle drivers still have to negotiate disparate and uncoordinated approaches across State and Territory borders. (Author/publisher)
Abstract