Though every death on our roads is one too many, the latest Fatal Heavy Vehicle Crashes Australia quarterly bulletin reveals that numbers are following a downward trend.
The report by the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, revealed that sadly, 162 people lost their lives in crashes involving heavy trucks in the 12 months to the end of September 2020. Of that number, 95 deaths involved articulated trucks and 70 deaths involved heavy rigid trucks.
Fatalities in crashes involving heavy trucks decreased by 9.5 per cent compared with the corresponding 12-month period a year earlier; and it decreased by an average of 4.2 per cent per year over the three years to September 2020.
Fatalities in crashes involving articulated trucks also followed a downward trend, with the number down 4 per cent compared to the previous 12 months; and down by an average of 5.6 per cent per year over the three years to September 2020.
With heavy rigid trucks, fatalities decreased by 14.6 per cent compared with the same period the year before; and dropped by an average of 6 per cent per year over the three years to September 2020.
In the 12 months to September 2020, there were also 13 deaths in crashes involving buses.
For the full report, click here.