MTA NSW Support Government $400,000 Funding Towards ATA's Safety Truck's Upgrade

01 Mar 2019

The Motor Traders’ Association of NSW (MTA NSW), has welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment towards ATA’s Safety Truck’s Upgrade.

MTA NSW strongly supports the Government’s determination to reduce the number of crashes involving heavy vehicles by, investing in educating young people throughout Australia to safely share the road. MTA NSW General Manager Operations, David Rodger said, “The Safety Truck program is crucial in helping to reduce the number of deaths and serious accidents caused every year involving trucks. MTA NSW supports any initiative by Governments that help to save young lives on our roads.”

Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack announced recently, $400,000 will go towards helping to “raise public awareness about road safety issues when people are sharing the road with large trucks” and the ‘Safety Truck will also travel an average of 60,000 kilometres a year around Australia to engage with tens of thousands of people at trucking industry events, careers expos, high schools and tertiary institutions.’

Mr McCormack stated, it is “known that most accidents are due to the failure of other drivers to fully understand the special precautions needed when in the vicinity of large freight vehicles, especially on country and regional roads.”

“The new Safety Truck delivers an engaging hands-on experience designed to educate 16 to 25-year-olds about the dangers of driving irresponsibly around large trucks. It will put them in a virtual driver's seat to experience the challenges truck drivers face every working day dealing with a range of road and traffic conditions. That experience—combined with the truck's road safety exhibition—will increase visitors' understanding of trucks' significant blind spots, large turning circles in some situations and the time and length it takes to slow down and stop compared to smaller vehicles,” said Mr McCormack.

Funding provided by the Government will also be used to help cover the refit costs, including a revamp of the truck's livery and the development of its video and virtual reality.

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