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Privacy safeguards key to future of telematics: TCA

Privacy safeguards must be in place to encourage industry to adopt C-ITS and telematics technology, Transport Certification Australia says.

The growth of telematics will hinge heavily on making sure the information the technology generates is protected, Transport Certification Australia (TCA) says.  

TCA, which administers the truck-tracking Intelligent Access Program (IAP), has highlighted the importance of privacy protection in encouraging the industry to adopt telematics and cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS). 

“Telematics and C-ITS, by their very nature, have the ability to collect, record, transmit and store vehicle, driver and consignment information at very high-frequency intervals,” TCA CEO Chris Koniditsiotis says.  

“Without strong privacy protection safeguards to support the future use of telematics and C-ITS applications, stakeholders will reserve the right to question how their information will be used and under what circumstances.” 

Koniditsiotis says there are strong privacy provisions covering the IAP in the Heavy Vehicle National Law, which took effect in February.  

The law, which the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) oversees, outlines the roles and responsibilities of road agencies, transport operators, service providers and the TCA on the protection of information the IAP generates.  

“This ensures that road agencies and regulators are not able to obtain access to vehicle tracking information simply because it is available,” Koniditsiotis says. 

The IAP is a GPS monitoring scheme used in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.  

It tracks heavy vehicles to ensure they travel on approved routes and is a requirement to gain higher mass limits (HML) access in Queensland and New South Wales.  

C-ITS technology allows vehicles to exchange information with surrounding vehicles and infrastructure. Applications include collision avoidance and brake warnings and tools to avoid the risk of collisions at intersections.  

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