Car drivers at fault in most fatal crashes involving trucks

A staggering 80 per cent of fatal accidents involving cars and trucks in Australia were deemed to be the fault of the car driver, according to new data released by the National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC).

And with 90 per cent of fatal crashes involving a car and a truck occurring outside major cities, there are concerns that as state border crossings begin to re-open – and international travel remains off limits – the dangers, and the road toll, will escalate as Australians switch holiday travel plans to country areas.

While this year’s national road toll has fallen 8.5 per cent (to the end of August) – due in no small part to the fact that COVID-19 lockdown measures have kept many cars off the road – the NTARC’s Major Accident Investigation 2020 study highlights the dangers of highway driving in regional areas.

As well as finding that 80 per cent of fatal accidents that involved both cars and trucks “saw that the car [driver] was at fault”, the study also found that in non-fatal crashes, trucks were the at-fault party in 60.5 per cent of cases.

Drilling into the data, where the car is deemed to be at fault, almost half (47.6 per cent) of the crashes occurred when the vehicles involved were travelling in opposite directions, while more than a quarter (28.6 per cent) were at intersections.

Only 11.1 per cent of these crashes occurred when the vehicles were travelling in the same direction.

“In short, when trucks hit cars, they run into their rear,” the study’s authors said. “When cars hit trucks, they are either head-on or T-bone-type incidents.”

The NTARC data is based on insurance claims (and investigations) handled by National Transport Insurance (NTI), which is Australia’s leading truck insurer and operates the research centre, combined with government statistics.

In a statement, NTI chief executive Tony Clark warned motorists not to become complacent on roads with higher speeds, particularly as summer approaches and the holiday season beckons.

“Many people are choosing to drive to coastal and country areas, and we want to alert drivers of the need to be extra vigilant behind the wheel in remote and regional location,” Clark said.

“While drivers might be inclined to relax once they’re out on the open highway, these roads represent the highest risk environment with all but one of the fatal crashes in 2019 analysed by NTARC occurring in 100km/h or faster speed zones.

“Quite simply, travel outside of the city occurs at these higher speeds. This means that not only are the consequences of any incident likely to be more catastrophic, but emergency services and medical care are also less accessible.”

Clark also urged motorists to plan their trip around daylight hours and to be conscious of trucks when on the road.

“It can be very dark driving when there are no street lights, and vision can be impaired if you’re driving into the sun or looking into the headlights of oncoming vehicles,” he said.

“Car drivers also need to remember to give trucks plenty of space and avoid risky manoeuvres like overtaking unless it’s absolutely safe to do so.”

To the end of August 2020, the national road toll stands at 733 deaths, down from 801 for the same period last year.

Western Australia has seen the greatest drop in road fatalities so far this year, down 19.3 per cent, followed by Victoria and South Australia, each down 16.9 per cent.

The New South Wales road toll has also dropped, down 12.8 per cent, while Queensland and Tasmania are the only two states to have recorded an increase in road fatalities, up by 17.7 and 28.6 per cent respectively.

Road users aged 40 to 64 are over-represented in the national road toll statistics, accounting for the highest number of deaths at 30.4 per cent. The 26-39-year-old demographic is the next highest, with 25.9 per cent. Those aged 17-25 are third with 18.2 per cent.

Combined, these three demographics make up three quarters of the national road toll.