The Tasmanian government has joined with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator to urge all road users to take care around heavy vehicles, ahead of the 2022 National Road Safety Week.
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The week begins today and runs until May 22 and aims to bring the public's attention to the dangers on the road. The week arrives after a horror year so far on Tasmania's roads.
As of May 11, the Department of State Growth had recorded 26 deaths on Tasmania's roads, compared to just 10 over the same period last year.
Tasmanian Deputy Premier and Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said it was a timely reminder for all drivers to familiarise themselves with driving safely around heavy vehicles.
"There were four deaths from crashes involving heavy vehicles last year," Mr Ferguson said. "No death on our roads is acceptable."
"I want all road users to recognise that trucks take longer to stop, have large blind spots and require extra care when overtaking. Often a truck crash can be avoided if light vehicle drivers are aware of the dangers of driving around a truck.
According to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics, there were 160 fatalities in crashes involving heavy vehicles in 2021 across Australia, with four in Tasmania, compared to three in Tasmania in 2020 and five in 2019.
NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said National Road Safety Week was also a timely reminder for truck drivers to make sure they were operating safety.
"To support National Road Safety Week, our staff will be out and about across the country, so no matter which major freight route you're travelling on, drop in for a chat," Mr Petroccitto said.
"It's important for our team to not only answer heavy vehicle questions and support drivers, but also get feedback from the industry."
For more information about the week visit www.roadsafetyweek.com.au
