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Heavy vehicle road safety: Research scan SJ Raftery, JAL Grigo, JE Woolley CASR REPORT SERIES CASR100 July 2011 
Report documentation REPORT NO. DATE PAGES ISBN ISSN CASR100 July 2011 110 978 1 921645 37 2 1449-2237 title Heavy vehicle road safety: Research scan Authors SJ Raftery, JAL Grigo, JE Woolley Performing Organisation Centre for Automotive Safety Research The University of Adelaide South Australia 5005 AUSTRALIA Sponsored By Australian Trucking Association Minter Ellison Building Ground Floor 25 National Circuit FORREST ACT 2603. Available From Centre for Automotive Safety Research http://casr.adelaide.edu.au/publications/researchreports Abstract The number of registered heavy vehicles (HV) in Australia has risen 22% since 2005 and, with the national freight task projected to double by 2030, the number of HVs on Australian roads is set to continue to increase. In the 12 months to the end of June 2010 crashes involving heavy vehicles resulted in 239 fatalities while around one third of all work-related road crash fatalities occur within the freight industry. Heavy vehicle safety for both the trucking industry and the general community remains an important issue. In recognition of this the Australian Trucking Association has commissioned a research scan to develop a knowledge base that may be used to guide the strategic direction and development of effective outcomes in the area of heavy vehicle safety. The scan focussed on five key areas: factors associated with HV crashes, road and vehicle design, human and social factors, speed management and enforcement, and the effectiveness of accreditation schemes. This scan identified a number of gaps in knowledge and recommendations for future research were suggested in the areas of fatigue, seat belt use, traffic management, and technology. Keywords Heavy vehicle, truck, safety, crashes, road safety Summary Trucks are a common sight on Australian roads, be it rural highways or the arterial roads of major cities and towns. Statistics from the ABS (2011) indicate that the number of registered heavy vehicles (HVs) in Australia has grown by 22% since 2005. Projections indicate that Australia’s freight task is set to at least double by 2030; the number of HVs on Australian roads is set to rise in line with this. In the 12 months to the end of June 2010, HVs were involved in 194 crashes throughout Australia resulting in 239 fatalities. Furthermore, around one third of all work-related road crash fatalities occur in the freight industry. HV safety remains an important issue to address for the HV industry and the community. In recognition of this the Australian Trucking Association has commissioned a research scan in order to develop a knowledge base that may be used to guide the strategic direction and development of effective outcomes in the arena of heavy vehicle safety. This scan focussed on five key aspects of HV safety:
An overview of findings is provided below. HV crashesThe most common types of HV crash were single vehicle crashes involving leaving the road or rolling over. The most common factors involved in HV crashes are speed, the mechanical condition of the vehicle (particularly brakes), and the characteristics of the load being carried (including overloading). Human factors such as fatigue, substance use, and driver distraction are more commonly identified for HV drivers who are responsible for a crash than those HV drivers who are not responsible for a crash. Currently, leading road safety nations have adopted a systems based approach to road safety which is based on the principle that road users make mistakes and that the road system needs to better accommodate these mistakes when they occur. Governments will be using the Safe Systems approach to road safety when considering heavy vehicle road safety over the next decade. Road and vehicle designThe horizontal alignment of curves and other design features of roads represent safety hazards for HV drivers. The provision of shoulder sealing is one way this issue may be tackled providing benefit not only for heavy vehicles but other vehicle types as well. Other risks can be addressed through vehicle design, particularly the use of on-board warning systems and crash avoidance technologies to improve the stability and control of the vehicle. The design of HVs is such that they have high aggressivity, presenting a significant risk to other road users, and poor crashworthiness, presenting a risk to HV occupants. Improvement in either or both of these areas would produce safety benefits. Human and social factorsFatigue is an issue of primary concern for the HV industry, and particularly so for long haul drivers. A number of advancements in knowledge and management of fatigue have been made however, there is room for improvement. The prevalence of substance use among HV drivers is generally comparable to rates observed in the general driving population throughout Australia, however the use of stimulant substances (such as amphetamines) is more common among HV drivers as they tend to be used to combat the effects of fatigue. Little is known with regard to HV drivers use of prescription medications to treat medical conditions, nor the effects of these on HV crashes. Heavy vehicle drivers also have a higher risk of some general and mental health problems.
Speed management and enforcementSpeed is an issue for heavy vehicle safety. Low level speeding among HVs is more common than extreme speeding. The use of speed limiters and Intelligent Speed Assist technologies (ISA) offer safety benefits with regard to the management of HV speeds. High visibility police enforcement operations effectively reduce speeds in targeted areas however, these effects are short lived once the operation has ceased. Speed cameras have been shown to effectively reduce crashes and lower average speeds on roads where they are installed. Accreditation schemesEvidence indicates accreditation schemes such as the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) and TruckSafe have improved the safety of the accredited organisations. Overview and conclusionsA number of knowledge gaps were identified in order to provide direction for future research. Four key recommendations for future research were provided. These included research that:
Contents 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Organisation of the report 4 1.2 Presentation of results 4 2 Research scan methodology 6 3 Heavy vehicle crashes 8 3.1 Gaps in research 20 4 Road and vehicle design, and infrastructure planning 21 4.1 Gaps in research 36 5 Human and social factors 38 5.1 Gaps in research 53 6 Speed management and enforcement 57 6.1 Gaps in research 63 7 Accreditation schemes 64 7.1 Gaps in research 68 8 Overview and conclusions 69 8.1 Heavy vehicle crashes 69 8.2 Road and vehicle design 69 8.3 Human and social factors 70 8.4 Speed management and enforcement 70 8.5 Accreditation schemes 70 8.6 Recommendations for future research 70 8.7 Closing comments 71 Acknowledgements 72 References 73 Acronyms
ABS Australian bureau of statistics ABS Anti-lock braking system(s) ACC Adaptive cruise control AFM Advanced fatigue management AVCSS Advanced vehicle control and safety systems BITRE Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport, and Regional Economics BMI Body mass index CDL Commercial driver's licence CPAP Continuous Positive Airway Pressure DSL Differential speed limit DSRC Dedicated short range communication EBS Electronically controlled braking system ESC Electronic stability control ESP Electronic stability program EWD Electronic work diary FCW Forward collision warning FMCSA Federal motor carrier safety administration FMP Fatigue management program GPS Global positioning system GVM Gross vehicle mass GVWR Gross vehicle weight rating HGV Heavy goods vehicle HOS Hours of service HV Heavy vehicle HVDF Heavy vehicle driver fatigue IAP Intelligent access program ISA Intelligent speed adaptation ITS Intelligent transport system LCM Lane change merge LDW Lane departure warning LOC Loss of control LTCCS Large truck crash causation study MCMIS Motor carrier management information system NHTSA National highway traffic safety administration NHVAS National heavy vehicle accreditation scheme NTC National transport commission NTI National transport insurance NZHVBC New Zealand heavy vehicle brake code OApps Oral appliances OBM on-board mass-monitoring OOS Out of service PBS Performance based standards RSC Roll stability control RVS Rearview video system TFMS Transitional fatigue management scheme UPPP Uvulopharyngopalatoplasty (a surgical procedure to change the shape of the pharynx) USL Uniform speed limit WIM Weigh-in-motion YSC Yaw stability control |