It’s no secret that fatigue is one to the top three (3) killers on our roads in general. However when it comes to fatal heavy vehicle accidents in 2019, fatigue was the largest cause (at 35%) reported in the NTi Major Accident Report 2020.
Crunching the numbers, sadly 50 drivers lost their lives during 2019 and fatigue was responsible for 18 (or 35%) of the 50 lives lost.
The NTi also found that 9% of fatal accidents were caused by a Medical Events, and these events were almost always caused by drivers suffering heart attacks whilst driving. That means that in 2019, 5 drivers lost their lives to cardiovascular related diseases.
These are quite sobering numbers indeed. Fortunately, the trucking industry as a whole has long recognised the need to reduce to 0 the lives lost on our roads; and through the sadness of the lives already lost, there is hope and positivity that together we’ll be able to make sure every drivers gets home safely.
I’ve included a link to the NTi’s report if you’d like to drill into the details and other non-fatigue related findings.
https://ntarc.nationaltransportinsurance.com.au/#introduction
Until next time, stay safe.
