Citation

Williamson A, Irvine P, Friswell R. Proc. Australas. Road Safety Res. Policing Educ. Conf. 2003; 7(1): 288-294.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, copyright holder varies, Publisher Monash University)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study used information in the New South Wales RTA's Traffic Accident Database System to examine the major patterns of crashes involving heavy trucks in NSW over the period 1996 to 2000 and compared them with crashes involving other road users. Articulated heavy trucks, B-doubles and roadtrains showed higher rates per registered heavy truck for all levels of crash severity compared to rigid trucks and all vehicles. The patterns of truck crashes reflected the distribution of truck numbers and patterns of road usage across the state and across time. Where the heavy truck was judged to be the vehicle playing the major role in fatal crashes, the most common crash patterns involved an off path on curve movement or were pedestrian-related. In contrast the most common pattern for fatal crashes for other vehicles involved vehicles approaching on the incorrect side of the road from opposite directions. Crashes involving heavy trucks were just as likely to involve fatigue, and slightly more likely to involve speeding compared to crashes involving other vehicles.