Rural Road Safety Month: NHVR reminds people to "share the road responsibly"

As Rural Road Safety Month draws to a close for another year, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator is reminding people to share the road responsibly year-round as crashes in regional areas remain far too common.

Speaking with The Country Viewpoint on FlowFM, NHVR Chief Operations Officer Paul Salvati said 205 lives were lost in crashes involving heavy vehicles last year alone, with about 60 per cent occurring in rural and remote areas.

“That’s why it’s so important we remind people to drive safely around trucks,” he said, highlighting common risky behaviours seen on country roads such as overtaking too quickly, cutting in front of trucks, and lingering in blind spots.

“These vehicles are much larger than what you see in the city. It takes longer to overtake them and longer for them to stop safely. Patience is key,” he said. 

He urged drivers to allow two to three times the space they think they need when overtaking, to never pull out behind another car attempting to pass, and to pull over entirely if a wide-load truck is approaching.

“The worst thing you can try and do is squeeze past one,” he warned. 

While most crashes are caused by light vehicle drivers, Mr Salvati also reminded truck drivers to keep their distance and avoid tailgating. “Just as much as you deserve to get home safely, so do light vehicle drivers,” he said. 

The NHVR is also pushing education campaigns like Don’t Muck with a Truck for young drivers and We All Need Space for the general public.

“A lot of drivers learn in cities and don’t get experience around large trucks until they hit rural roads,” Salvati said. “These resources are about making sure everyone knows how to share the road safely.”