The number of truck drivers claiming injury compensation could be set to fall over the coming years, as new figures show a significant reduction in serious crashes.
Data from insurer NTI’s National Truck Accident Research Centre revealed major incidents fell by one-third between 2012 and 2013, which is made more impressive by the fact road freight has risen by 30 per cent over the same time period.
NTI Industry Relations National Manager Owen Driscoll said there have been substantial improvements to safety in the transport industry over the last 20-30 years.
“In 2015, we have safer vehicles, safer speeds, safer roads and generally more responsible and safer behaviour,” he noted in the NTI’s 2015 Major Accident Investigation Report.
“Nonetheless, heavy vehicle crash accidents continue to occur, albeit with the number of people killed in Australia from crashes involving heavy vehicles over the past decade falling significantly.”
Accidents in NSW
According to NTI, the Pacific and Hume highways in NSW were the worst-performing roads for truck accidents across the country in 2013. However, Queensland was highlighted as the state with the highest percentage of crashes.
Inappropriate speed was the most common contributing factor, causing approximately 27 per cent of all accidents. Fatigue (12.8 per cent) and truck fires (10 per cent) were other cited reasons.
Tiredness was particularly an issue in NSW and Western Australia, where it was responsible for 27 and 30 per cent of incidents respectively. Incidentally, seven out of 10 drivers who crashed due to tiredness were part of government accredited fatigue management schemes that allowed extended driving hours.
The worst day of the week to be on the road in a truck appears to be Tuesdays, which was when nearly one-quarter of all major accidents happened in 2013.
Making a compensation claim in NSW
The statistics showed 71.8 per cent of crashes were single-vehicle incidents, while the remaining 28.2 involved at least one other motorist. Truckers were found to be liable in 59.4 per cent of accidents that did not result in a fatality.
If you are a driver or other road user involved in a crash on a NSW road, you could be entitled to injury compensation. Payouts cover a broad range of ailments linked to accidents, including whiplash and total and permanent disabilities.
Please contact an experienced no-win, no-fee compensation lawyer in NSW without delay. You could be eligible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in economic losses, as well as additional money for pain and suffering.
