Major incident investigation report provides snapshot of the heavy vehicle sector
For over two decades, NTI used their claims data to produce the National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC) Major Incident Investigation Report which provided a snapshot of the heavy vehicle sector for industry and policy makers.
In an Australian first, NTI has formed a collaborative partnership with the National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) and the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) in a new initiative to advance heavy vehicle safety: NTARC2.0.
The 2024 Major Incident Investigation Report is the first output of the collaborative partnership. The Report identifies key insights into the heavy vehicle sector, including the challenging operating environment with adverse trends in incident severity and frequency.
The purpose of the Report, and the collaborative partnership, is to assist industry to understand and respond to these challenges. The findings reflect broader road safety trends and social factors in the post-covid economy, combined with low levels of unemployment, high economic activity and higher freight volumes, which have exacerbated the industry-wide driver shortage.
Key trends identified include:
- Most categories of ‘Human Factors’ crashes have increased in 2023
- In fatal crashes involving trucks and cars, the truck was not determined at fault in 85 per cent of these.
- It is important to look beyond ‘blame’ and focus on identifying system-wide risk factors while supporting drivers with solutions to reduce these incidents.
- Inattention and distraction crashes are of particular concern. Device-based distraction is a significant factor, however other factors also contribute including traffic volumes and overall stress levels.
- Non-impact fires have increased, with tyres and starter motor power cables being key components to monitor.
- For crashes involving trucks and cars, ensuring all road users respect the safe following distance in front of trucks needs to be a priority to reduce rear impact crashes.
Emeritus Professor Jude Charlton from MUARC, and Independent Chair of the NRSPP, spoke of the addition to NTARC2.0 to the program. “The NRSPP is centred around collaboration, partnerships and data driven action, which is why NTARC2.0 aligns perfectly.
“The 2024 Major Incident Investigation Report is the first crucial deliverable by the partnership and the findings illustrate the heavy vehicle sector is experiencing the same issues road safety is across all of Australia. It highlights that road safety is a shared responsibility, we all have a role to play.” Professor Charlton said.
Professor Stuart Newstead, Director of MUARC, spoke of the data findings, “MUARC has never had a chance to be able to draw on insurance data, which provides an additional and new lens to better understanding crashes on the nation's roads. The NTARC2.0 partnership provides an exciting opportunity for researchers to independently explore claims data from Australia’s largest heavy vehicle insurer.
“It shows a challenging operating environment with adverse trends and these findings reflect the broader road safety trends and broader social factors in the post-covid economy. As NTI has done in sharing data, we all have a role in road safety.”