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Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Final Report Improving Heavy Vehicle Road Safety Summit The Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association (ARTSA) Heavy Vehicle Road Safety Summit was held on 16th & 17th April 2015 in Melbourne. This report summarises the Summit, and draws out the main themes and opinions that were expressed. This report is laid out in two parts: 1. Key lessons from the summit Covering the 12 lessons that emerged across the two days 2. Summary reports of each presentation at the Summit With dot points from each speaker This report is also available on line at https://www.heavyvehiclesafetysummit.com ARTSA would like to thank and acknowledge our sponsors in this event: Foundation sponsor Session sponsors 1 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report 1. Key lessons from the Summit Across the two days of discussions with over 30 presenters, a number of key lessons emerged. These have been summarised into 12 lessons that if actioned, would significantly improve Australia’s heavy vehicle road safety performance. ARTSA commends these initiatives and their discussion with the aim of continually improving Australia’s heavy vehicle road safety performance. Lesson 1: We need evidence to justify the strategies for improvement Road safety statistics mainly concern fatal crashes. There are also a range of road safety incidents including moderate-­‐intensity crashes, fires, loss of loads and breakdowns that cause great disruption to the road system. They are not publicly reported and as a result the appreciation of such events is missing. Whilst useful insurance claim data has been made public in the NTI safety reports, little is known about the causes of police turnouts to heavy vehicle incidents. Virtually nothing is in the public domain concerning disruption to the road network resulting from heavy-­‐vehicle breakdowns and load-­‐restraint failures. We know: • 90% of crashes are due to human error. • If we met the road safety performance of Sweden then we would halve our current road trauma. • Articulated trucks are over-­‐represented in crash statistics in relation to their numbers on the road. • Heavy truck fatalities have reduced by nearly 60% since 2000 • 80% of multi vehicle accidents occur at night time. • Truck driving remains one of Australia’s most dangerous occupations. Whilst we know some of the facts, we are still missing the evidence to point to where real improvements will come from. A major and on-­‐going gathering and analysis of data is required to fill in knowledge gaps and to inform policy considerations. As a start, improvement in incident information gathering by emergency services personnel could feed into better quality assessments of incidents. There is a need for industry to work with government to develop a more rigorous and systematic crash investigation and reporting system. Lessons 2: Improving road safety is a huge challenge of international proportions. It needs combined efforts of many parties Groups acting alone are unlikely to have the knowledge, resources or influence to achieve real progress with road safety. Australia needs a long term partnership between industry and government akin to that achieved in Sweden where the level of crash rates are half of that in Australia. We need a strong safety culture to be developed by all sectors of the operator community. Whilst enforcement activity has a role to play, the benefits of good safety performance need to be well 2 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report known to operators. We need industry associations and industry leaders to co-­‐operate in developing ambitious proposals to improve road safety performance. We need industry magazines to highlight role-­‐model safe operators. We also need the costs of poor safety performance to be more widely known by operators. Lesson 3: We need to accelerate consideration of mandating advanced safety technologies on new vehicles The ‘Safe System Approach’ is being advocated by several Australian States and Territories. This approach accepts that human beings will make mistakes and that the design of vehicles and the roads they run on should provide protections against mistakes. It is also requires that single points of failure that could have serious consequences be provided with a separate protection. Safe Systems principles is apparently driving much of the vehicle standards regulation development in Europe. If fully adopted the Safe System principles would accelerate ADR development and adoption of some international regulations that Australia has not yet formally considered. The Federal Government applies the Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) discipline to consider options and to test the effectiveness of proposed regulations. Industry supports this discipline. However, there is some criticism that Australia is taking too long to subject new technologies to the RIS process. A big lesson of the last 18 months is that a State or Federal Minister determined to make change can achieve a great amount quickly. This has happened in NSW, which has mandated ESC with roll stability on dangerous goods tankers, initiated a road worthiness and NHVAS review, and insisted on higher road worthiness standards in the dangerous goods hauling sector. Much of this would not have arisen had the more constraining RIS approach been adopted. Lesson 4: Speed and fatigue are the highest single causal factors of serious crashes According to NTI insurance safety report, inappropriate speed for conditions and fatigue are the two most important causal factors in claim incidents, whereas mechanical failure is regarded as a minor crash causal-­‐ factor. Industry and government need to be continually analysing and proposing new strategies to tackle speeding and fatigue related issues. Lesson 5: Intelligent technologies on trucks can greatly protect against driver error and poor vehicle dynamics. Assessments of the safety benefits are needed. There are now several relatively new technologies that can improve safety outcomes. These include proprietary technologies built into trucks and also retro-­‐fit technologies including cameras and fatigue-­‐alert devices. The benefits in Australia of safety technologies are not being adequately assessed. Industry and government should devise ways to assess safety technologies on an ongoing basis with the purpose of informing the debate and supporting change proposals. 3 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report There is general agreement that Electronic Stability Control (ESC) could improve heavy-­‐vehicle safety. There is a difference of opinion about how reliant the industry should be on this technology, however the opportunity to use advanced intelligent controls to provide additional levels of safety was supported. There is also an opportunity to set limits on centre-­‐of-­‐mass height and on brake balance of unladen combination vehicles. Lesson 6: Driver distraction is an increasing risk and becoming a major cause of fatalities Using mobile phones whilst driving can increase the crash risk by a factor of four. More research and education is needed to address this major causal factor. Companies should be encouraged or incentivised to adopt a “truck on, phone off” policy. The danger of distractions from a plethora of indication, imaging, entertainment and communication technologies in the cabin is significant. Industry should be encouraged to minimise the number of potentially distracting technologies that are installed. Lesson 7: Unique safety challenges arise from multi-­‐combination vehicles. Brake compatibility and the challenge of mixed braking and mechanical systems on trailer and prime movers provide a unique challenge. More work is needed to ensure that the industry understands the challenges that arise from matching different equipment and systems. Vehicles that achieve high productivity contribute to road safety because fewer vehicles are needed to deliver the freight and they have proven to be safer on the road. Australia is on the right path by encouraging higher productivity vehicles as they increase vehicle productivity and lead to improved safety outcomes. It is time to review the need for safety chains on drawbar trailers. There is also a need to review the strength ratings that are required to couplings and drawbars used on long multi-­‐combination vehicles. Lesson 8: Age is a causal factor – both for equipment and for people Insurance claims point to a correlation between driver age and increasing accident rates. The median age of truck drivers in Australia is over 50 years, which is higher than employees in most industries. There are many challenges in attracting and training drivers. A large proportion of the drivers also run their own businesses. There are also many challenges of managing the fatigue of drivers in a demanding and competitive logistics sector. NSW evidence suggests that on average a 10-­‐ year old heavy vehicle has defect rates of 3 or 4 times that of a two year old vehicle. The average age of prime-­‐movers and their trailers is over 13 years. More work is needed around the issues of fleet and equipment renewal as well as workforce renewal. Both are at the higher levels compared with comparable countries around the world. 4 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Industry and government need to develop policies and practices that reduce the average age of equipment and tackle the issue of an increasingly aged workforce. Lesson 9: Driver training needs to be revisited More rigorous driver training and retraining along with the development of programs for women drivers are factors that could have a positive impact on safety outcomes. They deserve immediate attention and action. It is not acceptable to expect safety technologies to protect against all driver errors. We need to have both good driving practices and safety technologies working together. Lesson 10: Driver health and welfare need to be more strongly recognised and acted upon The impact of driver age, life on the road, lack of rest, poor or non existent rest stop facilities and the incidence of alcohol and drugs present major challenges in improving safety outcomes. It is an issue of national importance that deserves a national approach. The ability to achieve meaningful and sustained improvements in heavy vehicle road safety outcomes will be dependent on success in this area. Lesson 11: Decent driver and operator remuneration is important for road safety A fair days pay for a fair days travel should be the Australian motto. Improvements in remuneration levels and better operating conditions, forced in part by Chain of Responsibility requirements, are urgently needed. Lesson 12: Truck and trailer fire rates are unacceptably high According to the NTI insurance-­‐claim reports, fire losses account for about 10% of total payouts. This is excessive. There are a limited number of common causes of fires. Knowledge about the causes of heavy vehicle fires and about the protections that can be applied needs to be urgently disseminated to operators and to vehicle manufacturers. 5 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report 2.
Summary reports of each presentation at the Summit This section summarises the individual papers and panel sessions held over the two days of the Summit. The full program and copies of papers are available on-­‐line at https://www.heavyvehiclesafetysummit.com/presentations/ Conference Opening Thursday 16th April 2015 Conference Chairman’s Address Dr Peter Hart , Chairman, ARTSA Chairman Welcome to the Improving Heavy Vehicle Road Safety Conference. This Conference is jointly hosted by ARTSA and Prime Creative. I am Peter Hart, Chairman of the Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association. Prime Creative is the publisher of leading industry magazines such as Prime Mover, Diesel and Global Trailer. This is the third Conference that we, ARTSA and Prime have conducted. This partnership builds upon the synergy of bringing together our suppliers and their technical knowledge and commercial interests with Prime’s reach and stature and ability to inform the heavy transport logistics sector. The scope of this Conference is broad. It will cover a range of road safety incidents including major road crashes through vehicle fires, wheel detachments to roadworthiness enforcement interventions. In short, any incident that prevents the heavy vehicle from completing its journey. The Australian heavy road transport sector has much to be proud of. We are world leaders in the long and heavy vehicle space. We have been able successfully to introduce new vehicle configurations, introduce new technologies and reform our regulations. The road safety performance of the heavy sector, as measured by the risk of having a serious crash per journey has been steadily improving but the rate of improvement is modest in rear terms at about 7% per annum. When measured according the quantity of freight moved, the improvement over the past decade has been dramatic. However, in the 12 months to June 2014, there were 192 crashes 6 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report involving a heavy vehicle and there were 213 fatalities. The largest single category involves heavy articulated trucks. About a third of the deaths were heavy truck drivers which makes truck driving the single most dangerous occupation in Australia. Therefore, we the leaders in our industry are obliged to work co-­‐
operatively to lessen the risks of road safety incidents. I hope that this Conference will significantly contribute to your deep understanding of the issues, knowledge of the thinking of government and industry leaders and about risk reduction strategies. ARTSA and Prime intend to publish a detailed report about the matters considered over the next two days. We hope that you can each contribute to and review the contents of this report as it is developed. I will chair a review session at the end of each of the two days that will give you an opportunity to contribute. This Conference has the valued support of sponsors. Sponsors makes this Conference viable. Sponsors also provide the leadership that is needed for a successful outcome. I greatly acknowledge the participation, encouragement and guidance that our major sponsor BP Australia has made. Despite having impeccable safety practices, operators such as BP still experience serious road safety incidents. BP Australia’s support for this Conference indicates its commitment to helping the broader industry reduce its road safety risks. I also want to acknowledge the sponsorship of: • Volvo Australia • Hella, • VicRoads, • Knorr Bremse, • The NRMA, • Byford Tankers • The ARRB Group • Goodyear Dunlop This is a truly diverge sponsor group. We have a first-­‐class speaker list. At this time I want to acknowledge our international and far-­‐
travelled speakers: We are privileged to have Mr Anders Gunneriusson and his colleague Mr Mats Willen here from the Swedish Transport Agency. Mr Gunneriusson is the current chairman of the UN Working Group 29, which has carriage of UN vehicle regulation developments. These developments are directly applicable to Australia as we steadily harmonize our design rules with the UN regulations. Mr Carl Johan Almqusit who is Volvo’s director of Traffic & Product Safety Director will inform us of the safety thinking and developments of arguably the world’s leading heavy-­‐vehicle builder. Mr Martin Reinbach, the Managing Director of Hella NZ will update the Conference about the major improvements to heavy vehicle visibility and road illumination that new lighting technologies have made possible. I also want to acknowledge the significant contribution that Heather Jones, Pilbra Heavy Haulage Girls has made to our industry and her effort in travelling to Melbourne. It is now my duty and privilege to introduce to you Mr Clinton MacDonald who is Director of Safety and Operational Risk with BP Australia. Clinton will formally open the conference and he will do so 7 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report with a personal anecdote that reinforces the importance of building a safety culture within organisations. Welcome Address Clinton MacDonald, Director of Safety and Operational Risk, BP Australia BP Australia is the major Conference Sponsor Mr MacDonald welcomed conference delegates. He stressed the importance of building a safety culture within any company but particularly within companies that face significant safety risks in day-­‐to-­‐day business. Mr MacDonald recounted an incident that occurred during his first years of employment as an industrial chemist. A colleague died as the result of an unwise work procedure. This tragedy has left a lasting influence that resonates in Mr MacDonald’s daily life. He is fully committed to putting safety first and demonstrating it all employees. The basis of a safety culture is to assess the safety risks on an ongoing basis and to respond to non-­‐trivial risks as a priority. 8 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Session 1 -­‐ Morning Thursday 16th April 2015 World safety performance for HVs Carl Johan Almquist, Global Director Safety, Volvo •
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Currently 1.2 million people die world-­‐wide in road crashes each year. By 2030 it is predicted that 3.6 million people with die in crashes. More than 75 % of fatalities are males. In 1997 the Swedish government established Vision Zero, which set an aspirational goal of zero deaths from road crashes. A strong national goal that is agreed by government and vehicle suppliers underpins Sweden’s progress to reduce the crash rate. The road trauma rate in Sweden is 3 / 100,000 population. In Australia it is 6 and in South Africa 40. The breakdown of crash types involving heavy vehicles in Europe is: 35% are single-­‐vehicle crashes in which the HV left the road (about half being rollovers), 20% rear-­‐end crashes 9 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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(which is the second most common crash type in Europe) and 15 – 20% are head-­‐on crashes (mainly due to cars being on the wrong side). The ‘road compatibility’ of heavy vehicles and cars is extremely important. 90 % of crashes are due to mistakes by human beings. Intelligent technologies on trucks can greatly protect against driver errors. A significant new challenge is to avoid distracting the driver with warnings, information or communications. A second challenge is to design systems that can tolerate mixed technologies on combination vehicles. Australia’s HV road safety performance Gerrard Waldron, CEO, ARRB Group •
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Light commercial vehicles and articulated truck numbers are growing at x3 times the Australian population growth rate. 52% of heavy-­‐vehicle crashes in Australia involved an articulated trucks whereas they account for 14 % of the HV population. Articulated crash rate trends are decreasing by about 7% per annum. Articulate trucks are involved in 10.4 % of fatal crashes. An articulated truck is about 20 times more likely to be involved in a crash than a light vehicle. The cost of Australian road crashes is estimated to be $27B of which the heavy vehicle related share is $6B. The potential cost savings are significant but who will fund countermeasures that could reduce truck crash levels? Driver assistance technologies can significantly reduce crash rates. Because human’s make mistakes, vehicles should be designed to tolerate mistakes. This is called a Safe Systems approach. 10 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
Truck platooning has potential on some Australian routes. Heavy vehicle safety – insurance company perspective Owen Driscoll , National Truck Accident Research Centre •
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NTI has a large segment of a small insurance sector (i.e. heavy trucks). The average incident cost in the 2013 calendar year was $130.6 k. The number of transport logistics fleets in Australia is static at about 170,000. The owner-­‐driver and SME segments are contracting. Larger fleets have a lower claim rate that smaller fleets. The transport logistics sector of the Australian economy has a turnover of $50B, which is about the same as the general insurance industry. Over the past decade there has been a 30% increase in freight carried and a 35% decline in heavy-­‐vehicle related fatalities. In the 2013 crash statistics, 59% of the crash claims were the fault of the heavy-­‐vehicle. In 84% of major fatal crashes, the light vehicle was at fault. B-­‐doubles carry 40 % of the freight and are associated with 24 % of claims. The main causes of HV crashes in which the HV is at fault are: Inappropriate speed – 27 %, Fatigue – 12.8%, The cost of Fire losses is 10.7% of the total losses. Mechanical failures are a minor crash causal factor. There is a low level of roadworthiness enforcement in metropolitan areas. Fatigue is mainly a management issue. Log books are almost a waste of time. The driver’s fitness for work is never recorded in a log book. The Western Australian fatigue performance is the poorest. WA has poor administrative systems to detect excessive driving hours. 11 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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Driver age may be a factor. Considering claims, 70% of drivers are over 40 years and 33% are over 55 years. There is an ‘epidemic’ of mobile phone use in vehicles generally. Use of a mobile phone by a driver to talk increases the crash risk by 4 times. Use of a mobile phone by a driver to check or update a facebook page increases the crash risk by 28 times. There is a recent increase in rollover whilst tipping incidents. Australia’s accident investigation quality is disgraceful. Benefits would come from routine and systematic investigation of truck crashes. The aviation sector provides one model for this. The configuration, age and specification of crash trucks could be analysed but is not. Session 2 -­‐ Morning Thursday 16th April 2015 Chain of responsibility safety potential Marcus Bourke, Project Director, National Transport Commission 12 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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Chain of Responsibility legislation is being used to educate, influence and enforce acceptable safe practices. The scope of CoR legislation is currently: Fatigue, Speed, Mass & Dimensions and Loading. Extending CoR to vehicle standards (principally roadworthiness and maintenance management is under active consideration. CoR legislation is being introduced in WA. There is general agreement between jurisdictions that CoR legislation and processes need to be clarified and made consistent. The NTC is developing proposals to go to Transport Ministers in May 2015. A range of options are under active consideration. The issues being considered are: 1 Prescriptive v performance-­‐based compliance. 2 Reasonable step / reasonable proactivity defences. 3 Whether there is excessive officer liability. 4 Reversing the onus of proof. 5 The favoured reform appears to be to better define principle duties of participants. Awareness of CoR responsibilities needs to be increased. Industry Associations have a role to raise awareness. Remuneration as a safety driver The Honourable Jennifer Acton President, Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal • Remuneration of HV drivers is a safety factor. • The concerns are with: low rates of pay, incentive-­‐based rates, unpaid work time, unreasonable demands, poor queuing practices, imbalances of power. • Low remuneration promotes or forces risk taking. 13 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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There are particular problems in some sectors such as street-­‐side garbage pick-­‐up and cash in transit industries: Operators are forced to work very long hours and are often fatigued, there are no annual entitlements, there is often poor or inadequate training of operators; and little investment by the business owner. The RSRT has made a determination: Road Transport and Distribution and Long Distance Operations Road Safety Remuneration Oder 2014. This order sets out obligations covers: 1. Contract drivers to be paid within 30 days. 2. Written contracts for driver engagement are mandated. 3. Safe driving plans are required. 4. Training in work health and safety is required. 5. Drug and alcohol policies are mandated. 6. Dispute resolution procedures are defined. 7. Adverse conduct protections are introduced. A calculator that was developed by KPMG concerning reasonable remuneration rates for contract drivers has been linked on the RSRT website. It is unofficial. For example, the KPMG calculator applied to the Sub-­‐contract driver pulling a B-­‐double trailer set that is owned by the hirer; running from Melbourne to Sydney has the following reasonable remuneration rate guide: Waiting time paid at $33.87 / h. Running rate for the truck is $1.87 / km. Labour rate is $0.5 / km. The total is ~ $.838.70. Future investigations by the RSRT may be into the fuel-­‐haul industry. This may look at vehicle standards including telematics and electronic stability control. The RSRT is happy with feedback it received from the major players but not with the level of feedback from medium and small-­‐sized operators. Roadworthiness as a safety driver Daniel Elkins, Safety Manager, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator •
Roadworthiness is presently undefined. 14 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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Regarding roadworthiness, there is much to be done to achieve consistency with systems, capability, data collection, clearance requirements,.. Incident / accident data and analysis is currently very poor. This limits progress that can be made on safer outcomes. The NHVR regards consultation with industry as critical in all its activities. Hopefully industry associations might be able to assist the NHVR to get a better understanding of the causes of and frequency of various incidents. For example, a better understanding of incidents might allow the safety potential of technologies to be assessed. Maintenance management systems are not been widely applied by industry. The NHVR is interested in improving the industry’s safety culture. NHVR wants consistent regulatory targets. Entry standards for NHVAS are under review. NHVR is interested in developing a crash investigation capacity. The NHVR has a major project on to review vehicle standards and maintenance practice requirements. The National Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual is being reviewed with a November 2015 aspirational timeline. National roadworthiness policies are to be finalized by June 2017. This requires proposal to be completed by the end of 2016. The project will define types of consistent national roadworthiness inspection types by June 2017. Inspection competency standards are to be developed for roadworthiness and engineering assessors by March 2016. A revised Accredited Vehicle Examiner scheme that is administered by the NHVR is scheduled for June 2018. Session 3 -­‐ Afternoon Thursday 16th April 2015 15 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report European trends in heavy vehicles Mats Willen, Senior Advisor, Road and Rail Department, Swedish Transport Agency •
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EU Directive 96/53EC specifies maximum weights for vehicles circulating within the European Union (i.e. international traffic). EU 96/53EC also specifies maximum vehicle dimensions with the EU for both national and international traffic. Key EU dimensions limits are Width -­‐ 2.55 m, Height -­‐ 4.0 m, Length 12m for a Rigid truck 13.5 m for a Semitrailer and 12m for a dog trailer. In Sweden the dimensional limits are: Width – 2.6m, Height – unregulated, Length of modular combination – 25.25m Key EU mass limits are: 2-­‐axle trucks – 18t, 3-­‐axle trucks 25 / 26 t, 4-­‐axle trucks – 32t. EU mass limits for a semi-­‐trailer is 40t. Mass limit for a rigid truck pulling a (dog) trailer is also 40t. Swedish mass limit for a vehicle longer than 18 m is 60t. Sweden is trailing special application high productivity vehicles: B-­‐doubles (timber jinkers) to 74 t ,Double combination at 32 m and 74t, B-­‐triple at 30m and 90t. EU mass limits for axle groups are: Single – 10t, Single driving axle – 10t, twin tyres on a driven Tandem group with spacing < 1.8m – 19t, Tri-­‐axle groups on trailers with axle spacing in the rage 1.3m to 1.4m – 24 t. Test work in Sweden with longer and heavier combinations. 16 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report European trends in heavy vehicles Anders Gunneriusson, Senior Administrative Officer, Swedish Road Transport Department, Chairman, UN Working group WG29 •
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UN ECE Regulations concerning Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Systems for heavy vehicles have been developed. ESC, AEB and LDW has been mandated by the European Union on new heavy vehicles. An informal group is working on regulations for Automatic Coupling of Vehicles (ACV Systems). ACV implements fully automatic vehicle coupling without driver intervention. Amendments to ECE R13 will result from the ACV work. An informal group is working on requirements for Modular Vehicle Combination (MVC). The work is aimed to develop harmonization of technical requirements for type approval of vehicles to be part of a modular system. The requirements might concern (for example) dolly trailer, brakes, stability. An informal group is working on Lane Keeping Assist (LKS). This keeps the vehicle in an identified lane. Regulation is needed to harmonize some general requirements. An informal group is reviewing Regulation 55 (mechanical couplings). The intention is to introduce a coupling performance calculation methods for vehicles with more than one trailer. 17 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report International Harmonisation – benefits and challenges Steven Hoy, Head of ADR Development with Vehicle Standards Section of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development •
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At the federal level the regulation of supply of new motor vehicles is regulated under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act. The MVSA is currently under review. There are currently 62 ADRs. 54 are safety related, 5 are emissions / energy recovery related and 3 are primarily anti-­‐theft related. Over 85 % of motor vehicles are imported into Australia. The Australian market is about 1% of the global market. About 75% of the ADRs have been harmonised (27 of 62) or aligned (18 of 62) with the UN ECE regulations. Proposals from industry for further harmonisation are welcome. Australia is participating in global vehicle regulation development via the UN ECE working groups. Australia is a signatory to both the 1958 and 1998 UN ECE agreements. It is more difficult to harmonise heavy vehicle ADR rules with UN ECE regulations that it is for light vehicles. Therefore, more effort is required to develop and maintain heavy vehicle ADRs. There are two principal forums for government and industry consultation in the vehicle-­‐
standards domain; which are 1 -­‐ SVSEG (Strategic Vehicle Safety and Environment Group), 2 – Technical Liaison Group. SVSEG is focused on future regulation, policy and advisory developments whereas TLG is focused on immediate road safety and environment issues. SVSEG has agreed an ADR development program that is consistent with the National Road Safety Strategy Plan (2009 – 2020) and the 2015 – 2017 Action Plan. ADR changes that impose additional requirements on industry must undergo a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) process. Two significant heavy-­‐vehicle related projects arising under the Action Plan are: 1 -­‐ Development of a RIS for Electronic Stability Control (ESC) on new heavy vehicles. 2 – Development of a RIS for Advanced Emergency Braking and Lane Departure Warning systems for new heavy vehicles. The RIS process for ESC on new heavy vehicles has started and industry consultation should occur later this year. This project is phase two of the National Heavy Vehicle Braking Strategy (NHVBS). 18 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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The regulation development process for the second stage of the NHVBS is timetabled for the end of 2015. Items on the longer-­‐term work program are: 1 – HV cabin strength regulation. 2 – Vehicle configuration and dimensions (ADR 43). 3 -­‐ General safety requirements (ADR 42). 4 -­‐ Specific purpose vehicle requirements (ADR 44). 5 -­‐ Roadtrain and B-­‐double requirements (ADRs 63 & 64). 6 – Road speed limiting. Deregulation has the potential to significantly enhance road safety. Non-­‐regulatory approaches have potential to improve road safety. In particular voluntary participation by industry in accreditation schemes, secondly adherence to codes of practice and thirdly, voluntary self-­‐regulation might be useful. Both regulatory and non-­‐regulatory measures need to keep evolving and improving. They work best in an appropriate mix. Session 4 -­‐ Afternoon Thursday 16th April 2015 19 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Telematics and road safety Chris Koniditsiotis, CEO, Transport Certification Australia The TCS’s activities can be classified into three areas: 1 – ITS technology to enhance productivity, 2 – ITS technology to enhance road access, 3 – integrity of the ITS technology. • The National Telematics Framework is based on the following principles: 1 – a performance-­‐based approach to technology, 2 – defined roles between operators and telematics providers, 3 -­‐ ensures privacy by design, 4 -­‐ One box many uses, 5 -­‐ Policy and end-­‐use agnostic. Particular data fields are associated with particular end-­‐uses according to the following map -­‐ •
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There is great potential for Telematics to improve productivity by facilitating management of routes, speed, loads, fuel economy, vehicle utilisation, security of loads,.… 20 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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The TCS has published the Telematics IVU Functional and Technical Specification, which sets out hardware requirements that take account of: 1 – reliability, 2-­‐ -­‐ accuracy, 3 -­‐ security, 4 -­‐ robustness. The specification is available on the TCA website. It allows operators to make comparisons between equipment types and makes and to become informed about the meaning of specifications. It is estimated that in 2014 about 25,000 Australian heavy vehicles were fitted with Telematics hardware that satisfy key ITC specification requirements. The TCA has published a specification for GPS-­‐based systems that measure speed. Operators who use GPS systems to monitor vehicle speed can benefit from this specification. Three case studies were presented involving high-­‐productivity freight that have been facilitated by TCA certified Telematics. Productivity improvements of up to 15% have been demonstrated. PBS and improved safety outcomes Marcus Coleman, Managing Director, Tiger Spider •
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High productivity vehicles can contribute to road safety because they reduce the number of heavy vehicles required to deliver the freight task. The PBS scheme delivers both productivity benefits and safety improvements. A recent review of the Level 3 & 4 standards has been completed and is under review by regulators. Hopefully some liberalization of these standards will result. Limitations on the PBS scheme are: 1 -­‐ Restricted road access, 2 -­‐ tyre performance limits, 3 – public resistance to longer vehicles on the road system, 4 -­‐ ‘prescriptive thinking’. The current hard width limit of 2.5m should be removed. If PBS vehicles can meet standards at 2.6 m then the prescriptive limit should not apply. 21 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Roadworthiness and road safety Paul Retter, CEO and Commisioner, National Transport Commission •
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Mr Retter advised the Conference about the status of the HVAS and roadworthiness review that is being jointly conducted by the NTC and the NHVR. The Phase I and II reports are on available on the NTC website. Recommendations will go to ATC (transport ministers meeting as the Australian Transport Council) later this year. Significant changes to NHVAS entry requirements and audit requirements are under consideration. Australia should not have multiple accreditation schemes. Industry consultation is invited. 22 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Conference Dinner -­‐ Thursday 16th April 2015 Conference Dinner Presentation Heather Jones , Founder and Manager, Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls •
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Rigorous training of drivers is critical to achieve satisfactory driving performance. This requirement exists independent of gender. Don’t rely too much on technology. It is more important that drivers know how to avoid getting into trouble. There is a level of animosity or scepticism about women drivers to be overcome. Women drivers have now proven their capabilities to drive conservatively and safely. Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls has provided a path for women to enter the transport industry that was not available beforehand. 23 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Session 5 -­‐ Morning Friday 17th April 2015 A safe systems approach to HV road safety improvement Greg Dikranian, Manager, NSW Centre for Road Safety •
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The Safe Systems Approach considers the interaction between people, the road environment and vehicles. The key principles include: Human factors; Human frailty; Forgiving designs; Shared responsibilities. The sub-­‐domains of the Safe System Approach are: Safer roads; Safer peoples; Safer vehicles; Safer speeds. Considering Safer vehicles the key considerations are: Crashworthiness; Newer models; Safety features; Roadworthiness; Fit for purpose designs. The NSW RMS has published a detailed review called Safety Technologies for Heavy Vehicles and Combinations. 24 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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The total number of road crash fatalities in Australia trended up until 1977 and has trended down ever since. The turning point at the start of the 1970s was due to public outcry and improvements in vehicle safety standards. In 2014 the road-­‐fatality rate for NSW was the lowest on record at 4.1 / 100,000 population. Victoria’s rate is 4.3. There has been a 57 % reduction in heavy truck crash fatalities (Australia-­‐wide) since year 2000. The trend reduction is steeper (better) for NSW than for the rest of Australia. The reduction in heavy truck fatality totals has been greater for articulated trucks than rigid trucks. The most significant crash factors are inappropriate speed for conditions and fatigue. The proportion of heavy vehicle driver fatalities who were not wearing a seatbelt has decreased from 50% in 2008-­‐10 to 28% in 2012-­‐14. Seat belt wearing rates have increased and this is a significant factor in the improvement. The greatest improvement in HV fatality rates have been in urban areas. Fatigue is a greater cause of HV crashes in NSW when an interstate driver is involved than a NSW driver. Speed is a greater cause of HV crashes in NSW when a NSW driver is involved than an interstate driver. About 1645 heavy haulage motor vehicles and 1173 heavy trailer roadworthiness inspections conducted annually (2012) in NSW. The inspections were conducted at 35 sites throughout NSW. Defect rates have trended down over the past twenty years. All the following figures are for inspections conducted inside NSW. The defect rates for hauling motor vehicles is about 37 % minor and 4 % major. For trailers the defect rates are about 41 % minor and 6 % major. The pre-­‐eminent fault types are: 1 -­‐ brakes; 2 -­‐ Lights; 3 -­‐ Chassis defects. The defect rates on interstate registered vehicles is substantially higher than on NSW registered vehicles. Considering brake defects, the defect rates on interstate vehicles is about double that of NSW registered HVs. The defect rates on hauling motor units for operators not in an accreditation scheme are lower than for units associated with operators in an accreditation scheme. In particular, the highest defect rates were on hauling units associated with operators accredited in the NHVAS maintenance module. The defect rates for hauling vehicles increases steadily with the age of the vehicle. The defect rate of a 13 year old vehicle can be expected to be 3 or 4 times that of a two year old vehicle. Defect rates for NSW registered vehicles have decreased over the past decade whereas the trends are not obvious for Victorian or Queensland registered vehicles. Victorian registered heavy vehicles have significantly higher defects rates (up to double) than NSW registered heavy vehicles. Considering rigid trucks, the defect rates of vehicles with GVM > 12t is about double that of vehicles with GVM in the range 4.5 t – 12t. Considering rigid trucks, the defect rates of vehicles three or more axles is nearly triple that of vehicles with two axles. Considering rigid trucks, the defect rates of vehicles towing a trailer is nearly triple that of vehicles that do not tow a trailer. 25 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Heavy vehicle lighting – LED potential in Australia Martin Reinbach , Managing Director, Hella NZ •
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South Australia has adopted the motto of ‘towards zero together’ at the top of its road-­‐
safety strategy. The South Australian strategy presents the view that road deaths and industries are not inevitable and society and business has the responsibility to prevent them. Four principles are identified: 1 Human factors recognises that humans make mistakes; 2 Human frailty recognises that designs need to protect humans against serious injury and fatality; 3 Forgiving (safe) system design recognises that the roads we travel on, the vehicles we travel in, the speeds we travel at and the communities we live in all should be designed, managed and maintained to be forgiving of human error; 4 Shared responsibility is the principle that everyone (organisations, businesses, community) has a responsibility for designing, managing and encouraging the safe use of the road transport system. Accident research shows that failure to see another road user is a contributing factor in 50% of multi-­‐vehicle accidents and 80% of multi-­‐vehicle accidents that occur at night time. There is evidence that daytime running lights can significantly improve road safety by making the other vehicle easier to see and thereby alerting drivers to the presence of the other vehicle. Daytime running lamps are more effective at obviating vehicles than are low-­‐beam headlights. Daytime running lamps have broad illumination at a level that will not startle other road users. In contrast, low beam headlights are designed to illuminate the road surface. Daytime running lamps utilise LED technology, which has reduced current and therefore reduced alternator load than low-­‐beam headlamps. LED technology has life-­‐expectancy that is many multiples of H4 headlamp bulb life expectancy. 26 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Reducing the impact and risks of breakdowns Matthew Beattie, Head of Business Products, NRMA Motoring and Services •
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NRMA offers a breakdown response service for heavy vehicles across the eastern seaboard states. The service is not limited to NSW. Experts on call are better than improvisation. Drivers are vulnerable during breakdown incidents. The safety of the situation is often poor. Professional breakdown response significantly reduces the risk for drivers and company mechanics. Breakdown situations should be marked with emergency-­‐response vehicles and lamps. Wheel retention procedures Andrea Delaforce , Safety Manager, Goodyear Dunlop Tyres 27 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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Wheel detachment incidents are a significant safety problem. The factors that contribute to wheel detachment incidents are: 1. failure to clean the mounting surfaces; 2. overstretched studs; 3. incorrect tension ; 4. wheel assembly problems such as using the incorrect wheel type, including tightening order and fitting hot wheels; 5. lack of re-­‐tensioning after a wheel is changed. Wheel nut tightening torque specifications differ depending upon make of vehicle and type of the wheel. Goodyear and Dunlop have compiled detailed lists of wheel nut torque specifications for a wide range of heavy vehicles used in Australia. The information will be available on the Goodyear website. Session 6 -­‐ Morning Friday 17th April 2015 28 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Reducing roll overs in the timber industry Russell Greenland, Manager, Transport Safety Services, VicRoads •
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Black spur rollover case study was presented. `During 2006 – 2009 on average ~ 40 rollovers per year were experienced in timber transport applications. The context is trials of B-­‐double timber jinker vehicles in mountainous areas. Many complaints were being received from the public. Trials of EBS with roll stability were conducted. Initially EBS with RSP was fitted to the rear trailer. EBS with RSP is now mandated in permit applications of B-­‐double timber jinkers. The factors involved in the successful implementation are: 1. Honest discussions with operators. 2. Provision of reliable technical information. 3. Adequate time to implement. 4. Room to negotiate – particularly regarding requirements on the prime-­‐mover. 5. Co-­‐operation between VicRoads and Vic Forests. 6. Five years to retrofit. 7. Roll out with permit renewals and contract dates (Vic Forests) 8. Ongoing discussions between authorities and oeprators. Vic Forests is now having discussions with the broader operator fleet concerning mandating ESC with RSP as a general permit condition. A dramatic reduction in roll-­‐over crashes has been demonstrated. There is now much less negative feedback from drivers. Operators have experienced much lower crash costs. The benefits for the general travelling public have been: 1. Less complaints about driver behaviour. 2. Less resources needed to attend incidents. 3. Less congestion. 4. Greater Oh & S compliance by operators. 29 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
VicRoads released a Case Study brochure about this project. It is ‘Electronics braking and stability control system eliminates rollovers’ which was released as part of the National Road Safety Partnership Program. Spec’ing a vehicle for reduced rollover risk Rob Di Cristoforo, Managing Director, Advantia Transport Consulting •
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In heavy vehicles, ‘electronic stability control’ is the equivalent of aerodynamic downforce assistance in F1 race cars. For maximum safety, we need to get the maximum from ‘mechanical stability’ first. Axle roll stability is an important factor. The roll centre of an underslung air suspension is likely to be lower than that of an overslung air suspension. There are two ‘figures of merit’ that are strongly linked to rollover risk. These are Static Rollover Threshold (SRT) and Load Transfer Ratio (LTR). A detailed example of design choices that can be made for a rollover cage on a Cat NB1 utility was presented. Centre-­‐of-­‐mass height and suspension design can make a 20% difference to the SRT. There is a good case for studying the vulnerability of heavy vehicles to rollover. The elements should be: 1 -­‐ Heavy vehicle risk profiling; 2 -­‐ Load scenario analysis; 3 -­‐ Trailer design factors. Electronic stability control’ is a no-­‐brainer’ but it should not be relied upon exclusively. The mechanical stability of heavy vehicles should be determined and should be optimised by design studies. 30 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Advanced braking and stability – safety potential Kevin Gibson, Engineering Manager, Knorr-­‐Bremse •
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Advanced Braking Technology means: 1. Intelligent brake systems 2. Enabler technologies 3. Communication and distribution 4. Stability control 5. Compatibility 6. Brake balance 7. Safer vehicle(s) operation Advanced Braking Technology delivers: 1. Improved combination driveability. 2. Improves combination stability. 3. Improved combination compatibility. 4. Controls cornering and lane change speed. 5. Combats driver skill deficits and poor behaviour. 6. Collision avoidance / mitigation. The main sub-­‐systems in Advanced Braking Technology are: 1. Load sensing / proportioning of the brakes. 2. Power and communication networks. 3. Electronic brake system functions. 4. Antilock brake functions. 5. Electronic stability control / program. 6. Roll stability system / program. 7. Additional features such as: ACR, LDW, pad wear indication, Docking assistance, Blind spot information, Tipping controls, Telematics,… • ADRs 35/04 and 38/04 mandate Antilock brakes (ABS). • The EU has mandated ESC and is moving towards mandating Autonomous Emergency Braking and LDW. This will result in this technology being widely available on European manufactured vehicles. 31 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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The NSW EPA and the Victorian VicRoads have mandated ESC in some circumstances. A range of industry associations have called for mandated ESC on new HVs. Advanced Braking Technologies have implications for manufacturers. Design rules and codes are needed to ensure successful implementation in Australia. Operators who adopt Advanced Braking Technologies will need to deal with challenges involving specifications, training, maintenance, data management, route assessments, modifications, fleet connectivity and compatibility, cost ROI, etc. A close relationship with a brake system supplier will be advantageous. Recommendations are: 1. Safety is the No 1 goal. 2. Adopt advanced braking & stability technology. 3. Matching brake technologies will require technical knowledge. 4. Go for the most effective safety systems. 5. Train you people and yourself in this Technology. 6. Accept positive change. 7. Legations that specific technical standards is needed. 8. International harmonisation of technical standards will be essential. Safety chains Wayne Baker, Engineering Manager, Bartlett Equipment •
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All towbars must have safety chain attachments (ADR 62) although the level of compliance with this is low. All rigid drawbar trailers must have safety chains. There is a strong recommendation in VSB 6 that safety chains be used on all drawbar trailers however, a large majority of all hinged drawbar trailers do not have safety chains. The distinction between hinged and rigid drawbars in the ADRs seemed to be based upon the assessed effectiveness of the emergency brake protection. The emergency brakes on a runaway trailer come on when the air supply to the trailer is broken. As suzzi coils are commonly used, a 32 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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considerable distance could be travelled before the lines break. The emergency brake stopping distance depends upon speed. It is longer than the normal braking distance and could be 200 m from 100 km/h or more. There are a range of conditions that increase the chance that the coupling could break. The strength rating should take account of possible adverse conditions. The D-­‐value rating needs to provide a significant factor of safety for the application. Damage due to clashes at the limits of articulation are a problem. This can occur because of informal modifications to or fabrication of towbars. Normal wear and tear damage is also a problem. Coupling compatibility should be guaranteed by compliance with ADR 62. However, couplings for light vehicles may not go through formal ADR certification. Anecdotally trailer runaways are common. Most occur in unpopulated areas and go unreported. The case for mandated safety chains is strong. It will protect against trailer separations and provides addition protection against separations that can occur during rollovers or crashes. Application of a Safe Systems approach requires a second level of safety. i.e. safety chains. The last cost benefit study into mandated safety chains was in 1995. The cost estimates are well out of date. The data on trailer separations is poor. The costs of safety chain attachments and installations is approximately: $200 -­‐ $300 on the pulling vehicle; $100 -­‐ $200 for safety chains on the drawbar; 2 -­‐ 4 hours work in the workshop. Bartlett has retrofitted hundreds of safety chain sets on heavy dog trailers. It is time for industry to again discuss mandatory safety chains. Many operators interpret minimum compliance as the goal. Without mandating safety chains, most operators will not fit them regardless of risk or recommendation. It is time to revisit safety chains in ADR 62. Volvo prime mover and Byford tanker on display 33 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report VicRoads ESC simulator Session 7 -­‐ Afternoon Friday 17th April 2015 34 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Establishing a common purpose and range of solutions for drivers Marianne Wehby, Industry Intelligence Manager, Transport Logistics Industry Skills Council •
The age of the road transport driving population is aging relative to that of the general workforce. The following graphic illustrates this: • The majority of heavy-­‐transport logistics operators are self-­‐employed (61.6 %). Companies with 1 – 19 employees constitute 36.6 % of operators and companies with 20 -­‐ 199 employees make up less than 2%. The industry composition is dominated by micro and small businesses. • A survey of operator companies revealed that there are several motivations for investing in training: 1. Regulatory compliance 62 % 2. Retention of employees 55% 3. Succession planning 43 % 35 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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4. Attraction of employees 34% 5. Meeting digital literacy needs 24% The overwhelming training need for truck drivers is Certificate III / IV – Driving Operations. There is an overwhelming gender disparity in the transport logistics sector. About 90% of drivers are male. About 50% of drivers are employed on a casual basis. There are about 380,000 people employed directly in road transport logistics (2013). This number is expected to grow by about 21,000 over the five years between 2013 – 2018. The growth requirements coupled with aging of the driver population and gender imbalance demands industry attention on attracting, retaining and training drivers and general staff for this critical industry. The Australian Transport Logistics Industry Skills Council plays the role of lifting awareness and providing the tools and courses that facilitate the logistics industry attracting and retaining good staff. Road safety and driver health Di Carroll, Founder and Manager, Transhelp Warwick Lloyd, Marketing Program Manager, BP Australia •
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DI Carroll was interviewed by Warwick Lloyd of BP. She described her commitment to improving driver health after the unexpected death of her husband who was a heavy-­‐vehicle driver. Regular health checks are a must. Operators have a responsibility to cause these checks to occur. Good food and some exercise (even if it is walking around at the start of a rest break) whilst on the road do make a difference to driver health. Transhealth has established a help line that client’s drivers can use. Occasionally drivers reach a wall where professional help is needed. The first step is to talk to an independent person about the issues that the driver is experiencing. 36 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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The health issues that arise are not due to drivers’ age. Drivers of all ages can have problems. The health condition of drivers needs urgent improvement. Drug use remains a serious problem. Ice use is a growing problem. How to proactively reduce risk Brendan Richards, Partner, Ferrier Hodgson •
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People risks need to be managed. People fail before machines fail. The underlying factors why people fail are: 1. Ego 2. Complacency 3. Greed How can you know if employees are going to be good or bad ? Start by asking good questions: What is your time plan ? How will you deal with that eventuality ? What are the main risks ? Learn about how to assess people and manage their particular characteristics. Get the right help. Professional assessments and training are essential. 37 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Session 8 -­‐ Afternoon Friday 17th April 2015 Panel discussion on key opportunities to improve safety outcomes Chaired by Gerard Waldron, CEO of ARRB Group the panel make a number of points: •
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Truck drivers deserve decent pay, conditions and rest brakes. Rest area improvements are urgently needed in much of Australia. Great potential to use in-­‐cabin forward-­‐facing cameras for training purposes. Videos show behaviour of the heavy-­‐vehicle as well as the other road-­‐user vehicles. Driver-­‐training is critical. Over-­‐reliance on technology is a mistake. Roller brake tester practices need to be reviewed. Loads are needed on axles if reliable results are to be obtained. 38 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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Brake test defects are a significant risk for operators even when brake maintenance is conducted. Roll stability systems should have been mandated on dangerous goods tankers years ago. All operators in the DG sector should have superior safety systems but the playing field is currently ‘not level’. Authorities have been very slow to assess the potential benefits. The importance of role-­‐model fleets who demonstrate a high-­‐level commitment to community and fleet safety was agreed. Reducing risks and Summit Summary Peter Hart, MD of Hartwood Consulting, and Chairman, ARTSA •
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There are some practical ways to reduce risks of adverse road safety incidents. Rubs on main electrical cables (battery, alternator and starter) result in about 25% of motor truck fires. Routine critical inspections for cable rubs at every C-­‐service is a must. Plastic conduits used to protect electrical cables should have fire retardant properties. Otherwise a hot-­‐spot rub will be transmitted as a fire by the conduit. Avoid distributing the electrical system off the starter motor terminals. It is impractical to provide circuit breaker protection at this location. Fuel line failures and debris onto exhausts account for about 15% of motor truck fires. Fuel lines should be kept well away from exhausts. Critical examine the fuel lines and oil lines at every C-­‐service. Keep the exhaust pipe clean and clear. Wheel bearing failures are the number cause of trailer fires. Failed wheel bearings cause drum brakes to drag. Wheels should be lifted at every A-­‐, B-­‐ and C-­‐ service. The wheel should be turned by hand and shaken. Any sign of looseness of non-­‐free movement should be identified. 39 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report •
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Drivers should feel the hub temperatures at each wheel when they stop for a break. Air suspension failures can cause tyre rubs. Tyre temperature should be felt by drivers at each rest stop. Out-­‐of-­‐balance retreaded tyres cause vibrations that wear out trucks and make the cabin ride uncomfortable. Insist that the maximum out-­‐of-­‐balance weight of a retreaded tyre not exceed 400g. Insist that the retread tyre supplier measures the out of balance and marks the high point weight onto the tyre. Wheel separations occur rarely but have great potential to kill other road users. Use nut indicators, correctly set torque wrenches and do get the driver to retighten wheels that have been recently changed. Main Summit Themes Heavy Vehicle road safety incidents can be classified into six categories; which are: 1.
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Road crashes between vehicles involving at least one heavy vehicle. Road crashes involving a single heavy vehicle leaving the roadway. Heavy Vehicle fires. Wheel-­‐off incidents. Load restraint failures. Heavy vehicle breakdowns. All these incidents have both community and operator costs. Significant risk reduction can deliver substantial cost and trauma reduction benefits. It is important that the operator community recognises the inherent benefits that can arise from continuous improvement that reduces risk. The fatal crash rates involving heavy trucks have improved considerably over the past decade. Despite this, heavy truck driving remains Australia’s most dangerous occupation. The causes of fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles are not well understood and better knowledge is required to target Australia’s response to road trauma. The National Transport Insurers’ claim data provides a useful assessment of the causes of HV insurance claims. There remains a need to investigate serious crashes in a systematic way. There is also a need for more detailed crash data to be obtained by police at crash scenes. A reporting tool that leads the reporter to observe relevant HV information could provide a consistent approach and more useful approach. There is general agreement that advanced braking and stability technologies can greatly improve heavy-­‐vehicle safety. There is a difference of opinion about how reliant the industry should be on this technology. At one extreme advanced control technologies are the basis of intelligent vehicle systems that protect against human errors. At the other extreme the technology is rejected in favour of better driver training. Several presenters argued for improvements in the inherent mechanical stability and performance of heavy vehicles. The advanced intelligent controls should be used to provide additional levels of safety. Several presenters argued that Australia was taking too long to mandate advanced intelligent braking and stability systems. Sweden was cited as a country that had adopted a zero-­‐fatality / zero crash tolerance policy. This can only be met with reliance on advanced braking, stability and controls that protect against human errors. 40 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Several presenters argued for adoption of a Safe Systems approach. This would require multiple safety levels so that a single failure does not result in a crash. Advanced braking, stability and control technologies can be viewed as a second level of protection. Mandated safety chains on all drawbar trailers was argued for. Australia has harmonised or aligned about 80% of the Australian Design Rules with the UN ECE Regulations. It was acknowledged that it is harder to harmonise the heavy vehicle rules than the light vehicle rules with the UN regulations because of the complexities involved. Development of a Regulation Impact Statement for Electronic Stability Control on heavy vehicles is planned for 2015. Several participants called for ESC to be mandated sooner rather than later. However, it was acknowledged that introduction of ESC on new vehicles needs to be managed carefully because of the challenges involved in mixing technologies on combination vehicles and the different levels of sophistication that exist in HV supplier countries to Australia. Introduction of new heavy vehicle technologies requires the operator community to train, manage and solve problems that will probably arise. Relationships between operators and technology suppliers will be important. Sweden has adopted a national goal of zero fatalities involving heavy vehicles. The Summit heard that a range of advanced braking, stability and control technologies are being or will be mandated. The scope of the ADRs is not being expanded rapidly despite there being many heavy-­‐vehicle technologies that are being called up in UN ECE Regulations and have been mandated by the European Union. Schemes intended to improve safety performance can be mandated by government or voluntarily adopted by heavy-­‐vehicle operators. The Federal government has a policy of reducing ‘red tape’. Effectively this means that additional regulation in the Federal domain, which is the new-­‐vehicle domain, is unlikely. The ‘red tape’ reduction policy has not been adopted by state and territory governments and the main thrust of road safety activity is for a regulatory response. The Summit heard that deregulation can result in improved safety outcomes although it remains unclear how this can happen. The alternative view is that without regulation many operators will not adopt technologies and practices that might otherwise improve safety. Some operators called for a faster and more ambitious adoption of regulations that mandate advanced safety technologies to lift the safety level of all operators. The Summit also heard about the important of safe driving practices being taught to new drivers. There is still some way to go to have women drivers fully accepted despite the high reputation well-­‐
training women drivers have achieved in the mining regions of Western Australia. The IHVRSS considered what risks should be reduced by regulation and what should be tackled by the industry side. The summit identified four approaches to reduce the risk of road safety incidents: 1.
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Regulations that mandate technologies and behaviours. Operator accreditation that provide incentives for specific behaviours. Insurance-­‐premium or regulation-­‐charge incentives. Peer pressure and role-­‐model promotion of uptake of new technologies and new practices. The ways in which risk reduction proposals are assessed is very different for each of these four approaches. Regulations at the Federal level need to be justified by a positive benefit-­‐cost ratio, or by policy. State and territory governments are less rigorous in justifying regulations. 41 Improving Heavy Vehicle Safety Summit, April 2015 – Final Report Accreditation schemes are voluntary and to be taken up the value of the incentives must be positive for the operator. Insurance premium reduction provides an incentive for specific technologies that are judged beneficial by insurers. The actual contribution of vehicle road worthiness is not well quantified in the heavy road freight sector. What is clear is that operators who ensure that vehicles are always roadworthy get economic benefits from low breakdown rates and reduced repair costs. Significant reform of roadworthiness assessment practices were foreshadowed. The results of targeted roadside inspections of vehicle roadworthiness show relative poor performance. Maintenance performance is likely to become a specific element of Chain of Responsibility (CoR) obligations on the industry over the next 18 months. There are also likely to be significant changes to the operation of the NHVAS accreditation scheme. Several presenters commented on the need for HNVAS compliance improvements and particularly, the need to left roadworthiness levels by all NHVSA accredited operators. The Summit heard that fires in trucks and trailers make up more than 11 % of insurance company payouts. The cost of an individual fire will usually exceed $200k and can occasionally cost $1M. This significant burden for operators does not show up in the usual road trauma statistics because it is rare for people to be injured or killed. Fires are not on the regulation agenda with government because they do not show up in road trauma statistics. Insurance premium reductions for operators who reduce fire risk make obvious sense however, this assumes that the causes of fires are well understood and can be reduced by operator action. In fact, fire risk arises from various causes that derive from inadequate design, the quality of mechanical service and inexperience of drivers. The countermeasures that can reduce fire risk arise from experience that is usually outside the operators’ domain. 42