Safer and more productive SMART heavy vehicles can reduce road trauma in Australian cities.

A report published by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre (MUARC) concludes that using fewer, more productive trucks can lead to less road trauma in metropolitan areas. The study was undertaken to assess the safety impact of the growing freight task on passenger car occupants.

“If you ban articulated trucks from metropolitan roads, the report shows you’d need more small trucks to carry the growing freight task; and the risk of a crash between a truck and a car would rise by up to 18% by 2010¹,” said National Transport Commission (NTC) Safety Manager Jeff Potter.

The results support the view that an increase in truck capacity using safer vehicle designs is the best option to meet future growth in the freight task. Mr Potter said new innovation and technology is producing safer and more productive SMART² heavy vehicles.

“The industry is developing safer SMART trucks built for specific freight tasks – such as hauling heavy containers, moving construction materials or urban pick-up-and-drops,” he said. “Compared to the traditional semi-trailer, a Super B-double – which can carry two 40 foot containers – could halve the number of truck trips.”

Transport Ministers will soon be asked to approve the Performance Based Standards (PBS) reform package for more flexible heavy vehicle design rules. PBS will improve access for SMART trucks; providing the vehicles meet stringent road safety standards governing how the trucks stop, turn and perform on the road.

The PBS reform is a key element of the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) road and rail transport reform agenda, which the Productivity Commission estimates could deliver $2 billion in overall benefits.

Planned rail investments are important in managing the growing freight task, but road and rail modes are mostly complementary, not substitutes, in metropolitan areas. Improved truck productivity and safety are therefore essential to further reduce crash rates.

“Safe, clean and efficient SMART trucks are a win-win for the industry and community, but it has to be part of a coordinated and integrated approach to transport policy. Further road safety reforms to address heavy vehicle driver fatigue and speeding trucks will also play a major role in reducing the crash rate,” Mr Potter added.

¹ The MUARC study estimated an 18.36% increase in crashes if articulated trucks were banned from metropolitan roads, assuming a linear improvement in the crash rate (or a 1.65% increase with no improvement in crash rate).

² Safer Management of Australian Road Transport (SMART)

You can download the report here: http://www.monash.edu.au/muarc/reports/muarc259.html