Scania is supporting the Australian Road Safety Foundation’s Fatality Free Friday by launching a light-hearted campaign with a serious message.
The “It’s not you. It’s me. I need space” campaign employs humorous relationship language suggesting that when it comes to road safety around trucks, size does matter.
With cartoon-like visuals, the imagery explains why trucks need more space for braking, don’t like cars cuddling up to them when turning, or pedestrians and other vulnerable road users lingering in blind spots at intersections.
“Very few drivers seem to understand the simple truth that a truck that may weigh 40, 60 or 80-tonnes needs more space to slow down and stop. This is why trucks leave a big gap to the car in front in traffic because their braking distances are far greater than those of other cars,” said Zsuzsa Zalatnai, Scania Australia’s Marketing Director.
“The gap is not a tacit invitation for a car to jump in, but a much-needed safety zone. Truck drivers do resent light vehicle drivers who see that space as an opportunity to get ahead in the traffic.
“Truck drivers are trained to deliberately create a safety zone ahead of their vehicles, to ensure they can stop safely without colliding with the vehicle in front. That space is far larger than that left by drivers of light vehicles, but all that space is needed.”
Zalatnai said at speed on the freeway, a light vehicle suddenly pulling in front of a truck can cause the driver to brake heavily, unsettling the vehicle and the load, which can lead to a rollover and or a collision with other road users.
“Not to mention blocking the road and causing congestion.
“While the elevated driving position gives good long-distance forward vision, the reality is the space surrounding the extremities of the vehicle are very hard to see, and that’s where problems arise when cyclists or pedestrians are near the vehicle. To the driver they can be invisible.
“For pedestrians and cyclists, a simple rule of thumb is that if you can’t see the driver, he can’t see you. If he can’t see you, he won’t know you are there, so beware of hiding in the blind spot.
“Scania would like every day to be a fatality free day, and even though our trucks are the safest on the market, all road users can make mistakes, and there are collisions as a result.”
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is also pledging its support for this year’s Fatality Free Friday initiative.
With 51 deaths resulting from a crash involving heavy vehicles in the first four months of this year, NHVR Chief Operations Officer Paul Salvati said it was imperative motorists, industry, and the wider community were united in driving down road fatalities.
“We all have a role to play when it comes to ensuring our roads are safe,” Salvati said.
“While progress has been made in improving road safety, the national road toll remains a sobering reminder that there is still more work to be done.
“It is why at the NHVR we want to shine a spotlight on Fatality Free Friday and implore all road users to ensure they are taking extra caution when getting behind the wheel, including always being well-rested and ready to drive.”
Salvati said the NHVR is reminding the general public that for heavy vehicle drivers, the road is their workplace – and just like in any workplace, the country’s heavy vehicle drivers deserve a safe place to work and to be able to go home safely to their families at the end of their shift.
“Driving alongside heavy vehicles – whether that be a truck carrying a huge load or a bus full of passengers – requires patience and extra care,” he said.
“It is important to always maintain a safe following distance when travelling behind a heavy vehicle, only overtake when it is safe to do so, and give them plenty of extra space particularly when they are turning.”