By Samantha Freestone | November 13, 2009A rise in the number of the trucks on the road has been blamed for the increase in heavy vehicle crashes.
Figures from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport show fatal crashes involving heavy rigid trucks increased by 2.4 per cent compared with the previous 12-month period, an increase of 8 percent per year over the three years to March 2009.
"One of the most important things is, if you have a look at the growth of what's been happening throughout the mining sector in WA, you're seeing more and more of these heavy rigid trucks on the road, especially now with [the] Gorgon [gas fields project] coming on," Western Australia Transport Forum Chief Executive Ian King told the ABC earlier this week.
During the 12 months to the end of March 2009, 248 people died from 229 crashes involving heavy trucks or buses, including 138 deaths from 124 crashes involving articulated trucks.
There were 90 deaths from 86 crashes involving heavy rigid trucks and 22 deaths from 21 crashes involving buses.
Despite the rise, fatal crashes involving articulated trucks decreased by 16.2 per cent compared with the previous 12-month period.
The figure represents a 3.4 per cent decline each year for the three years to March 2009.