Most fatal accidents involving a truck are caused by the other vehicle, usually a car. Cars are responsible for around 66% of all fatal car-truck crashes in New Zealand, just as they are in other countries like the United States.

Despite this, trucking operators are working hard to improve the industry’s safety performance. The results are in the figures. On a per-kilometre travelled basis, fatal accidents involving trucks halved between 1991 and 2001. They’ve fallen further since.

The industry’s improving performance is due to:

• A stringent series of driving tests covering vehicles from small delivery trucks to multi-axle A and B train rigs. These require drivers to prove thorough knowledge of the road code and rules affecting vehicle weight, dimension and performance. Age restrictions apply for each licence class and a demonstrated ability to drive each type of vehicle is also required.
• New trucks with greater safety performance and features such as traction control and ABS braking.
• Measures to improve truck stability and safety compliance.

The industry is strongly promoting new safety initiatives such as an Operator Rating System. This will reward good operators and ultimately force out of business those with persistently poor safety records. The Rating System is expected to be in place by the end of 2009.