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Where Are Our Truckies Sleeping?


Where Are Our Truckies Sleeping?

Author: NRMA MediaDate: 14 January 2009

NRMA Motoring & Services regional Director Graham Blight today called for governments to get fair dinkum about upgrading rest areas to cater for the needs of NSW highway users - particularly truck drivers.

"Heavy vehicle driver fatigue reforms were introduced last year specifically designed to improve safety by forcing drivers to take breaks or face fines," Mr Blight said.

"Currently, there is a serious lack of rest areas suitable for truckies along most of the state's highways. What good are laws if adequate infrastructure isn't in place for truckies to stop and rest?

"The Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics stated that the number of trucks on NSW roads will double by 2020.

"Clearly, action is required to ensure infrastructure is in place to cope with the anticipated increase in trucks and keep all motorists safe on the road."

The only evidence of 'major rest areas' in NSW is along the 545km of Hume Highway containing 16 „major rest areas‟ of which only 50 per cent comply with spacing requirements.

The Australian and New Zealand Road Transport and Traffic Authorities (Austroads) defines that a 'major rest area' must contain at least 15 parking spaces, separate parking for heavy and light vehicles and cater for long rest breaks.

Alarmingly, the Princes (530km), New England (570km) and Newell (1040km) Highways do not have one 'major rest area' along their entire NSW routes that comply with the Austroads spacing requirements. Heavy vehicles make up 35 percent of all the vehicles on the Newell Highway and are involved in 31 percent of all crashes.

Mr Blight said this was unacceptable - particularly when up to 30 per cent of fatal heavy vehicle crashes are linked to fatigue.

"On the other hand, the government expects truck drivers to comply with new fatigue reforms," Mr Blight said.

"Furthermore, a recent NRMA audit of the Newell Highway found that only 20 per cent of rest areas had toilet facilities."

"As well as more toilet facilities, the NRMA believes better signposting of facilities and distances between rest areas is needed.

"The trucking industry provides a vital source of food and supplies - not only for NSW but for the rest of the country - and urgent action is needed to provide enough places for truck and car drivers to stop along NSW highways.

"The industry also deserves to know where they are going to sleep when twice as many trucks are going to be on the road by 2020."

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