To help reduce road trauma while bolstering freight productivity, the Australian Government has changed the national road vehicle standards to facilitate the supply of safer trucks in Australia.
The Safer Freight Vehicles package, unveiled by Federal Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Carol Brown, increases the overall width limit from 2.50 to 2.55 metres for new trucks fitted with numerous safety features.
These safety features include devices to reduce blind spots, electronic stability control, advanced emergency braking, a lane departure warning system, better reflective markings, and side guards to stop pedestrians and cyclists from being caught under the rear wheels of trucks.
Additionally, several safety devices and sensors will be fitted to trucks without counting towards the width and length measurements.
This includes front and kerb view mirrors to better see around the front-left corner of a vehicle, external parts of camera monitor systems for improved indirect vision, blind spot sensors, and cross-view mirrors to see in front of bonneted vehicles.
Changes under the Safer Freight Vehicles package will come into effect from 1 October 2023.