BITRE statistics slightly better for rigid than articulated trucks
The heavy truck fatal crash rollercoaster refuses to take a significant downward path, with the latest figures more concerning for articulated trucks than rigids.
The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics’ (BITRE) Fatal Heavy Vehicle Crashes Australia quarterly bulletin, July-September reports that fatal crashes involving articulated trucks rose 9.4 per cent in the 12 months to September, compared with the corresponding period last year.
It also showed and an average 0.6 per cent per year rise for the three years to September.
This is the first time since the last quarter of last year that such a three-year increase has been recorded and only the second time since January-March 2012.
Generally, though, the articulateds trend has been fairly steady within 10 points either side of the 100 mark for the past four calendar years.
The figures for rigids is generally more choppy, though the trend is static, with fatal crashes falling 5 per cent over last year and increasing an average of 2 per cent per year in the past three.
Fatality totals for the quarter were 121 deaths, a rise of 12 from the corresponding previous quarter, from 105 articulateds crashes, a rise of nine, and 81 deaths, a fall of 12, from 76 rigids crashes, down four.
Articulateds’ fatal crashes have also been range bound in the past four calendar years, between 64 and 77 annually but mostly in the 70s.