Education vehicle shortlisted for Australian Road Safety Award
The Volvo-Australian Trucking Association (ATA) safety truck has been shortlisted as a finalist in the community program category of the upcoming 2017 Australian Road Safety Awards.
An initiative of the Australian Road Safety Foundation, the awards acknowledge the achievements of road safety stakeholders and recognise their commitment to improving road safety outcomes.
The awards also aim to raise awareness of programs and organisations that are improving road safety.
The winners will be announced in Melbourne on March 22.
The Volvo ATA Safety Truck is a mobile education centre that educates road users on safety-related issues involving heavy vehicles using videos and interactive displays.
The truck demonstrates key safety concepts such as avoiding blind spots, not cutting in or overtaking turning vehicles, and other issues such as driver distraction and importance of seatbelts.
Last year, the safety truck attended events, including school visits, and engaged with over 30,000 visitors who came through the exhibit and shared its key safety messages.
“The nomination highlights the ATA’s longstanding commitment to safety and leadership of the discussion about practical road safety measures,” ATA chair Noelene Watson says.
“In its 2015 major accident investigation report, Australia’s leading truck insurer, NTI, concluded that the truck was not at fault in 84 per cent of the fatal multi-vehicle accidents involving trucks that it considered.
“The safety truck’s work in educating car drivers and future car drivers is absolutely vital.”
“Trucks behave differently to cars when accelerating, braking, climbing hills, switching lanes or turning. The more the community understands how trucks behave, the better prepared drivers will be to share the road safely.”
The safety truck is fuelled by BP and powered by NTI, and receives contributions from other organisations.
For more information, visit the awards website.