The industry body calls on political parties to support stability control technologies for new trucks and trailers
The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has released the newly-updated technical advisory procedure on truck Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Roll Stability Control (RSC) technology.
In the lead up to the federal elections in July, the industry body is calling on political parties to support the implementation of practical measures to improve road safety such as mandating stability control for new model trucks and trailers by 2019.
“Electronic Stability Control is a vehicle safety system that monitors the stability and sideways acceleration of a heavy vehicle, and kicks in to slow the vehicle down if it detects that it is at risk of a rollover,” ATA CEO Christopher Melham says.
“ESC is an outstanding safety tool. According to the Monash University Accident Research Centre, the mandated use of ESC in heavy vehicles could reduce fatal heavy vehicle crashes by four per cent.
“But more than that, mandating stability control is an essential step that Australia must take before we can require autonomous emergency braking technologies – that is, vehicles that automatically stop themselves before a serious accident occurs.
“It’s estimated that the use of autonomous emergency braking could reduce fatal heavy vehicle crashes by as much as 25 per cent.
“This could save the lives of 67 Australians every year if this technology was fitted across the whole fleet.”
Melham says while the “industry’s safety record has dramatically improved, but even one accident is one too many”.
He urges political parties and candidates to commit to mandating stability control technologies for new model trucks and trailers from 2019, and for new trucks and trailers from 2020.
“There would need to be appropriate exemptions for trucks operating in rural and regional areas, where the demanding operating conditions can cause maintenance issues for the technology, and for particular combinations where the effectiveness of ESC is limited.
“Unlike the unproven claims linking price fixing and road safety, there is compelling evidence that mandating stability control will save lives, and open the way to saving even more lives in the future.
“Mandating stability control would be a real, practical measure to improve the safety of the trucking industry and all Australians.”