The ATA wants caravanners and other members of the transport industry to understand the risk of using truck rest stops around the nation
The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has responded to a recent industry survey, calling for caravanners to avoid using truck rest stops due to the safety dangers involved.
The survey, conducted by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), says 60 per cent of caravanners have used truck-specific rest areas, with 22 per cent making it a recurring practice.
This information has led the ATA to join truck drivers in stressing to caravanners the potential hazards associated with parking in these stops, including the possible disruption of crucial fatigue breaks.
“Fatigue is one of the most serious factors affecting safety and vehicle crashes on our roads,” ATA CEO Mathew Munro says in ATA’s weekly Friday Facts newsletter.
“Truck drivers meticulously plan routes to ensure they can adhere to rest schedules and can face heavy penalties for non-compliance. Nationwide, there is a chronic shortage of dedicated truck rest areas and this problem is made worse when caravans fill these spaces.”
Munro is urging the industry to raise awareness among caravanners about the seriousness of this issue, calling on caravanners and truck drivers’ shared interest in reducing crash risks.
“It’s in caravanners’ own best interests to avoid practices that increase fatigue risk for truck drivers,” Munro says.
Munro says the ATA is campaigning for clarity among other road user groups that truck rest stops are for trucks, primarily as a matter of safety.