Fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles in Australia decreased over the 12 month period ending June 2010 where 258 people died from 212 crashes involving heavy trucks or buses. Whilst the trend over recent months is downward, the comparable period for the previous year spiked upward by 15%. Details of the national articulated / heavy rigid / bus sectors include: - articulated vehicles were involved in 130 crashes resulting in 160 deaths, - heavy rigid trucks were involved in 64 crashes resulting in 79 deaths - 24 deaths from 21 crashes involving buses. Fatal crashes involving articulated trucks: - increased by 15 per cent compared with the corresponding period one year earlier, - decreased by an average of 4.1 per cent per year over the three years to June 2010. Fatal crashes involving heavy rigid trucks: - decreased by 31.2 per cent compared with the corresponding period one year earlier, - decreased by an average of 3.1 per cent per year over the three years to June 2010.
Source : Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics ( BITRE) . For more information, see the BITRE website at www.bitre.gov.au
