Friday Facts: Dec 18, 2020

News

18 Dec

Written By The ATA

PACIFIC HIGHWAY UPGRADE WILL SAVE LIVES

The completed duplication of the Pacific Highway will save lives, especially as traffic increases ahead of the Christmas holiday period. The Pacific Highway upgrade has been jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments over more than 20 years from 1996 to 2020.

The safety importance of the upgrade is highlighted by the tragic Grafton truck and bus crash which occurred on 20 October 1989, when a Semitrailer veered into oncoming traffic and hit a bus on a highway near Grafton. 21 people died and 22 more were injured – the worst crash in Australian road transport history at the time.

“A key recommendation out of the cranial enquiry into the crash was to duplicates the highway, and the Australian trucking Association was also established in response to the tragedy. The completion of the upgrade is an enormous win for our industry and every road user,” said ATA chair, David Smith.

New South Wales Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole said the number of fatal crashes on the highway had more than halved since the upgrade began.

“Since the upgrade began in 1996, fatalities have fallen by more than half. To put it in context, in the next 20 years it is expected there will be 8,039 fewer crashes, 4,218 fewer injuries and critically 565 lives that will be saved. That’s 565 families who will see their loved ones come home at the end of the day.”

New South Wales Deputy Premier, John Barilaro said the upgrade had transformed journeys along the north coast, cutting travel times by more than 2 ½ hours.

“Not that long ago the Pacific Highway was known as a goat track, but it’s now 657 km of dual carriageway highway, which will support tourism, unlock new opportunities for regional economies and drive higher productivity for freight.”

READ MORE

ATA AND UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE TO LEAD ROAD SAFETY RESEARCH

The ATA and the University of Newcastle, Australia signed a research partnership that could save lives throughout the world. Led by the University’s School of Psychology, the research will take a deep-dive into the effectiveness of the ATA’s SafeT360 education initiative and shine a light on how best to communicate safety messages to young road users.

“Governments throughout the world spend millions on education and communication campaigns, but those campaigns are rarely evaluated formally,” ATA Safety, Health and Well-being Director, Melissa Weller said. “While SafeT360 is an immersive educational initiative, it was also designed to enable research that governments and industry can draw on in developing future campaigns.

“This partnership will generate lasting peer–reviewed research that can be used by researchers and road safety practitioners, not only in Australia but around the world. It will deliver valuable insight into safety initiatives and how organisations can deliver the most effective communications and campaigns possible.”

READ MORE

WATCH NOW: HIGHWAY GUARDIAN, MATT GEORGA

SEE IT HERE: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=381188986479031

IN OTHER NEWS

… “We need to think of every truck driver on the road as one of Santa’s helpers.”

Ahead of the peak holiday period, we are urging holiday users to be cautious and considerate amongst increased traffic, especially when sharing the roads with trucks Read more

… The Australian government is accelerating fuel security, bringing support for local oil refineries forward and production payment is now commencing on 1 January 2021. The support will be provided through a minimum one cent payment of each litre of primary transport fuel (petrol, diesel and jet fuel) from the major domestic refineries who continue operations in Australia. Meanwhile work still continues on designing a market mechanism for the production payment. Learn more

… Registrations for the JobMaker Hiring Credit are now open. The JobMaker a Hiring Credit scheme is an incentive for businesses to employ additional young job seekers aged 16 to 35 years. Eligible employers can access the JobMaker Hiring Credits for each eligible additional employee they hire between 7 October 2020 and 6 October 2021. Find out more

… Daimler Truck AG, IVECO, OMV, Shell and the Volvo Group have committed to work together to help create the conditions for the mass-market roll-out of hydrogen trucks in Europe. As a growing number of governments and businesses align on a common vision of a net zero emissions energy system, the group believe that hydrogen is an essential fuel for the complete decarbonisation of the truck sector. Read more

… Industry members are invited to take part in a short survey that looks at the needs and behaviours of truck, bus and commercial fleet owners, managers and key decision-makers. The first 200 participants to complete the survey will win a $40 gift card. Take the survey

… To help trucking operators improve their skills and knowledge, the Australian Taxation Office is offering a series of free webinars covering a range of topics, including small business viability, tax support for small businesses, and the JobKeeper extension. View the webinars and find out more

The ATA office will be closed from COB 23rd December until Monday 4 January.

We wish you a safe and Merry Christmas

Comment