Improving the safety of heavy vehicles

• In 2008, crashes involving heavy vehicles accounted for 18 percent of the road toll and 19 percent of total injuries. This equates to 65 deaths, 258 serious injuries and 1,144 minor injuries.

How can we improve the safety of heavy vehicles?

Publish operators’ safety ratings
The Operator Safety Rating System (OSRS) will give operators safety ratings based on their safety performance. The ratings would help customers choose heavy vehicle operators with good safety records. The ratings will also allow Police to focus on the most risky operators.
 
Encourage the use of electronic stability control
Electronic stability control (ESC) helps the driver to maintain control of the vehicle when it begins to skid or slide. We could promote ESC and perhaps make it mandatory at some point in the future.

Assist companies to reduce road risk
The Commercial Driver Programme aims to raise commercial driver and company awareness of significant road safety issues like fatigue and speeding. Companies are informed when one of their vehicles receives a ticket for a road safety offence. We could implement the Commercial Driver Programme nationally, which would improve productivity as well as safety.

Adopt a ‘safe and fuel efficient’ driving programme
Driving with a fuel efficient style gives drivers more time to identify hazards and reduce speeds. The Ministry of Transport is developing a Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving programme which will provide a standard for safe and fuel efficient driver training for the heavy commercial vehicle sector.

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