Five rest areas will be built and another 8 upgraded in South Australia, government has announced.
Five new rest areas will be built in South Australia and another eight upgraded between Adelaide and Port Augusta in an initiative by the South Australian and Federal Governments.
A total of $9 million will be spent on the rest areas, a move which has been welcomed by the Australian Trucking Association (ATA).
Chairman Trevor Martyn says the announcement is an important step in improving the safety standards of roads in the State for motorists and truck drivers alike.
“Fatigue is a major cause of truck accidents in Australia and at this stage there are simply not enough rest areas for drivers to stop and take a break.
“This announcement is an important step towards making the roads safer,” he says.
All of the proposed rest areas will be located within 500 kilometres of Adelaide, something Martyn says is very important.
“New research from one of Australia’s leading truck insurers, NTI, shows the vast majority of fatigue related accidents occur on outbound journeys within 500 kilometres of the point of departure,” Martyn says.
“Truck drivers need more rest areas within this radius, so they can easily find a place to stop and cool down after the teeth-grinding frustration of getting loaded and getting through city traffic,” he says.
The deal, part of the Federal Government’s Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity program, will be split down the middle by the two governments in terms of cost.
“These new rest areas are the industry’s dividend for the extra charges that we are paying,” Martyn says.
Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese says the initiative will meet the national guideline requirements for national road networks and improve work conditions for transport industry workers.
“The Australian government will provide $4.5 million from its Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity program to upgrade rest area on the Adelaide to Port Augusta section of the National Network to meet national guideline requirement.
“This means more places for heavy vehicle drivers to stop and rest, providing vital road safety outcomes and better working conditions for these men and women,” he says.
Locations for the rest areas are 6km north of Port Wakefield (MM211), 13 km south Redhill (MM 153), 7 km south Crystal Brook (MM 121.02), 8 km south Warnertown (MM 99.7), 72 km south Pt Augusta (MM 72.05), South bound (To Adelaide) and 73km south of Port Augusta (MM 73).
Other works will commence near Crystal Brook (MM 113), 5 km south of Redhill (MM145.5), 6km north of Snowtown (MM160.7), 3km south of Lochiel (MM185.9), 7km south of Lochiel (MM188.5), in Dublin (MM 247.1) and Virginia (MM 278.5).