Truck Talk Australia: Distracted Truck Driver launch

The Victorian Transport Association together with the Transport Industry Safety Group, will launch a Driver Distraction Campaign this Friday 23 May 2008. Minister for Roads and Ports, Tim Pallas MP will be present on the day to officially launch the campaign. The campaign aims to reduce the dangers of distraction-related crashes in the transport industry. 

The campaign called Distracted Truck Drivers are Dangerous Drivers has been initiated by the Transport Industry Safety Group (TISG) to help curb the increase in deaths involving heavy vehicles. VTA Chief Executive, Philip Lovel, is a member of the TISG and has worked hard to see this initiative come to fruition. 

"The government has introduced a range of measures to improve safety involving heavy vehicles and other vehicles including the Share the Road Safely campaign. This new driver distraction campaign has been developed by a partnership between industry and government agencies," Mr Lovel said. 

Driver distraction is a major cause of crashes involving trucks and cars. Companies must understand the increased risk caused by drivers using devices like mobile phones and two way radios for their work. Companies can introduce "safe systems" of work such as only communicating with drivers when they you know the truck is parked or requiring drivers to turn off their phones and other communication and electronic devices when driving. 

"Companies such as Shell have a simple policy that mobile phones are not to be used whilst driving, regardless of whether a hands-free kit is fitted to the vehicle", Mr Lovel said. 

Research from the Monash University Accident Research Centre shows that drivers using mobile phones while driving have 4 times more risk crashing and that a driver’s response time to an event on the road while on the phone is worse than that of a driver with a blood alcohol reading of .08. 

Mr Bill Noonan the Chair of the TISG (and Victorian Branch Secretary of the Transport Workers Union) announced the launch jointly with the VTA. Mr. Noonan, commented "everyday activities such as talking to passengers, eating, reaching for an object, smoking, looking at objects outside the vehicle can distract drivers and increase the risk of a crash." 

Paul Benjamin, Order to Deliver Manager, from Shell said that the company’s policy of not allowing any staff member or contracted personnel to use a mobile phone while driving was an important safety measure that is part of its fleet safety program. 

The Distraction Safety Pack can be obtained from the VicRoads Bookshop, 60 Denmark Street Kew, Telephone 9854 2782. 