Australia’s National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has released a blueprint to support manufacturers and operators incorporate the latest safety technology into new and existing heavy vehicles.
Assistant minister for road safety and freight transport Scott Buchholz says the Vehicle Safety and Environmental Technology Uptake Plan (Vehicle SETUP) outlines five work packages to give Australia’s heavy vehicle industry certainty when installing new safety technology.
“Heavy vehicle manufacturers are designing technology, both here locally and overseas, to improve safety and get drivers home safely,” Buchholz says.
“This technology is available and I want to clear the way to encourage the use of that technology and make sure there are no regulatory barriers when it comes to manufacturers identifying and installing new systems.
“For example, lane departure warning, autonomous emergency braking systems and pedestrian and cyclist detection systems are all available, so let’s see them on more new vehicles.”
The NHVR Vehicle SETUP Plan was developed following a survey of manufacturers in 2018, and is designed to meet the targets set out in the Federal Government’s National Road Safety Action Plan 2018-2020.
NHVR chief executive Sal Petroccitto says the plan will be delivered over five work packages, including better harmonisation of Australian vehicle standards, better access to the latest vehicle technologies, ensuring appropriate in-service requirements, and industry education about new and emerging technology.
“When we surveyed manufacturers, we saw that there was very little consistency when it comes to installing newer types of safety technology,” Petroccitto says.
“For example, stability control was included on 78% of new vehicles, but fatigue monitoring systems were used on less than one in five, while lane keep assist featured on one in four new vehicles.”
Truck Industry Council chief executive Tony McMullan welcomes the plan and says manufacturers supported steps to remove barriers.
“By removing barriers and aligning standards such as width and mass, manufacturers will have access to more trucks, meaning more options and lower costs for operators,” he says.
Daimler backs the plan
Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific president and chief executive Daniel Whitehead is congratulating NHVR for encouraging the take up of cleaner and safer trucks through the plan.
Whitehead says the NHVR Uptake Plan is a valuable contribution that has the potential to help the Australian transport industry operate more efficiently, cut emissions and ultimately reduce road accident trauma.
“The NHVR has a critical role in being able to help the increased take up of life- saving safety technology and improved emission technology, so it is fantastic that the team has stepped up to advocate for positive change,” Whitehead says.
Daimler Truck and Bus offers advanced safety technology for all three of its Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso brands, first introducing autonomous emergency braking (AEB) as standard for the Mercedes-Benz Actros in Australia in 2010, before becoming the first manufacturer to introduce AEB for the light duty class with Fuso Canter last year.
Whitehead says technology such as AEB, which has been mandatory for new trucks sold in Europe for years, should be more aggressively encouraged in Australia by lawmakers.
“Fleets who have taken up this technology in Australia and some of Daimler’s overseas markets have measured a dramatic reduction in costs from nose to tail accidents that either don’t happen or just aren’t as severe.
“So, even from a purely economical perspective, this technology makes sense. But that doesn’t take into account the reduction of road trauma and human cost that those accidents may have caused were it not for AEB.”
Encouraging the uptake of engines that meet Euro 6 emission standards is another sensible idea, he says.
“Going to a Euro 6 engine reduces particulate matter by more than 99% and reduces Nitrogen Oxide by more than 97%, as well as being quieter.
“In our case, Daimler Euro 6 engines have also delivered fuel savings.”
