NatRoad has announced the release of two new language versions of its successful Truckie First Aid online training course. The release is part of a broader translation project with St John Ambulance aimed at enabling drivers from non-English speaking backgrounds to be trained and ready to act if they encounter a road accident.
The new Hindi and Arabic translations join the existing Punjabi and Mandarin versions of the course.
Developed in partnership with St John Ambulance, Truckie First Aid is a free online training course giving truck drivers practical instruction on how to provide immediate assistance at accident scenes, potentially reducing the severity of injuries and saving lives.
Truckie First Aid has now been completed by 2500 drivers in Australia since launching in October 2023.
“Truck drivers are often first responders to road accidents when every second counts, so it’s vital we make this critically important program as accessible as possible for drivers with English as a second language,” NatRoad CEO Warren Clark said.
“That’s why we’ve been proactive in arranging translations of the course in common non-English languages, first with Punjabi and Mandarin and now Hindi and Arabic.
“Improving road safety and reducing the road toll is a key focus for NatRoad, and Truckie First Aid is just one of the initiatives that will help us achieve that goal.”
St John Ambulance Australia Chief Operating Officer Adrian Watts also acknowledged the importance of rolling out the course in diverse languages.
“Expanding the translations will make it easier for drivers with English as their second language to complete the training and be confident in applying what they learn.
“Empowering truckies from diverse backgrounds with the knowledge and skills to respond to a first aid emergency not only makes sense – it will lead to more lives being saved on the roads,” Watts said.
Truckie First Aid has received positive responses from drivers, with one saying the training helped deal with an accident when a truck ran into the back of their truck. “The scenario I was confronted with was exactly like in the training clips,” the truck driver said, adding “it was amazing that four weeks later I remembered and used what was in your free course.”
The translations are funded as part of a $4.4 million investment in safety projects from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and their Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI), supported by the Australian Government.
Truckie First Aid covers essential skills including CPR, how to operate a defibrillator, manage different types of bleeds, and a range of other techniques, which can be used to save lives and minimise long-term harm.
The Truckie First Aid training courses take 30 minutes to complete, are free and publicly available at truckiefirstaid.org.au.