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Truck crash fatalities could be slashed by a quarter if automatic emergency braking was fitted to all heavy vehicles.
That is the conclusion of a study for the Australian and New Zealand Vehicle Safety Research Group.
Monash University Accident Research Centre examined the latest truck safety technologies and studied what kind of impact these would have if they were fitted to all heavy vehicles.
Such a study is groundbreaking, NSW Centre for Road Safety general manager Marg Prendergast says. Much previous research had gone into investigating the benefits of fitting the technologies to light vehicles.
"This is really the first time we've had some insight into the real-world benefits that could be delivered if they were fitted to all heavy vehicles," she says.
The study is important because heavy vehicles feature in so many fatal truck crashes in NSW.
"In 2014, (heavy trucks) made up about 2 per cent of all registered motor vehicles, accounted for about 7 per cent of all motor vehicle travel, but were involved in about 17 per cent of all road fatalities."
The Monash researchers examined four new kinds of crash avoidance tech: automatic emergency braking (which was by far the most promising), electronic stability control, fatigue warning and lane departure warning.
NRMA vehicle safety expert Jack Haley describes the results as compelling and says the other three features also have the potential, if fitted to all heavy vehicles, "to prevent about 4 to 6 per cent of Australian fatal heavy vehicle crashes".
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