Member feedback on the draft Heavy Vehicle Safety Strategy 2021-25

1.  Create positive change in behaviours and culture to improve safety

NHVR priorities:

• Support industry to manage human factors that contribute to heavy vehicle crashes, with a specific focus on fatigue.
• Educate, inform and empower operators and the supply chain to improve their organisational safety culture.
  • Support the uptake of safety management systems
  • Address driver health (including mental health and acute health) and other human factors that play a role in heavy vehicle safety.
  • Enable Chain of Responsibility parties to successfully discharge their legislative safety duty obligations.
• Undertake visible and consistent compliance activities.
  • Ensure the right person is held legally responsible for non-compliance with the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).
• Improve road users’ understanding of driving safely around heavy vehicles and promote road safety awareness initiatives about sharing the road.

2.  Drive uptake of a modern, safer heavy vehicle fleet that reduces the likelihood and impact of crash

NHVR priorities:

• Enable industry to increase heavy vehicle safety technology uptake.
• Support the uptake of newer, safer, more productive vehicles to reduce the average heavy vehicle fleet age.
• Target operators who do not properly maintain heavy vehicles.

3.  Influence road network design to support safe heavy vehicle use
NHVR priorities:

• Collaborate with decision-makers to help design and deliver infrastructure that is safe for heavy vehicles.
  • Provide information and advice to jurisdictions on heavy vehicle interactions with infrastructure to help inform future safety-related infrastructure decisions.
• Partner with stakeholders to improve the number and quality of rest areas.
• Work with road managers to assess infrastructure assets to support heavy vehicle safety.