Logistics and transport insurer NTI has urged motorists, particularly those towing caravans, to use “mega roadside rest areas” to “stop, revive, survive” this festive season.
These new roadside rest stops have started opening alongside highways across the country, offering motorists separate areas for cars, caravans, and trucks as well as toilets and undercover seating areas.
“There are currently 12 mega sites around Australia with some big enough to fit more than 20 semi-trailers and they’re designed so that the truck’s cabin faces away from headlights on the highway so drivers can get some quality sleep,” said Janelle Greene, NTI’s general manager.
The message was prompted by new NTI statistics showing 83% of fatigue-related accidents involving trucks in the lead up to Christmas last year happened between 10pm and 6am, despite only one-sixth of the country’s freight being moved during those hours.
The NTI leader said overcrowding at rest areas was a major problem in managing fatigue at this time of year.
“Fatigue-related crashes are twice as likely to be fatal and it is critical everyone has a safe place to ‘stop, revive, survive’,” Greene said.
Just early this month, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) completed its eight-day Operation Wake Up across Australia targeting fatigue.
“Managing your fatigue is one of the most important things you can do as a heavy vehicle operator to keep yourself and other road users safe and it is a responsibility drivers take very seriously because like other road users they want to get home to their family safely too,” NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said, as he noted an overwhelming 93.9% of heavy vehicle drivers were doing the right thing when it came to fatigue management.
