Driver fatigue and inappropriate speed for the conditions have topped the list of major accident causes in the latest accident investigation report by National Transport Insurance (NTI).
Combined, the two causes were found to be responsible for almost 50% of all serious truck accidents.
The results are part of NTI's National Centre of Truck Accident Research's 2009 report into 325 crash incidents that occurred during 2007.
The latest research identified that:
- Driver fatigue and inappropriate speed for the conditions were found to be the predominant cause accounting for almost one in two serious truck accidents (47.7%).
- With 20.6% of the losses, Mondays were found to be the worst day with February through to May the worst months consistenly for major truck crashes.
- In three out of four cases, no other vehicles were involved.
- One in six serious truck crashes occurred on Australia's National Highway 1, with Queensland's Bruce Highway recording the most incidents.
- NSW's continued investment in road infrastructure appears to have led to fewer serious truck crashes.
According to Owen Driscoll, NTI's Industry Affairs and Customer Relations Manager, the research should be used to help improve conditions for drivers.
"NTI is yet to be convinced that the new heavy vehicle driver fatigue laws will make any difference, particulary given the confusion arising with differing implementation by State transport agencies," he says.
"The storage and inaccessibility of truck rest areas remains an opportunity for governments to assist the trucking industry in managing fatigue."
The report continues a series of research studies conducted by the insurer into a cohort of Australian heavy vehicles involved in serious accidents since 1998.
The previous report released in 2007 also found fatigue and inappropriate speed to be the major accident causes.
National Transport Insurance is Australia's largest truck insurer specialist. NTI provides claims and accident management services to the transport industry. NTI insurers more than 106,000 items of equpment, worth over AUD$7.8 billion in total, on behalf of over 13,000 policyholders. Founded in 1971, NTI is an equal-partner joint venture of CGU and Vero Insurance.
To download a copy of the 2009 NTI Major Accident Investigation Report click here