Heavy vehicle safety was in the spotlight recently at a breakfast forum hosted by Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils.
More than 90 delegates from across the region, attended the Central West NSW Heavy Vehicle Breakfast Forum, to explore the current road safety and freight issues affecting the local heavy vehicle industry.
The Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, says the forum has become a regular fixture on the road safety calendar since its inception in 2012.
“Events like this forum are essential in providing opportunities to share information, network and discuss local issues,” Ms Suitor said.
The forum was attended by local transport companies, truck drivers and farmers along with various associations and government agencies.
The topics covered included heavy vehicle access, driver fatigue, work diaries and supplementary records, Chain of Responsibility, NSW rest areas, the National Heavy Vehicle Law review and recommendations, Fresnel lenses and NSW Police crash investigation procedures.
Presenters were from NHVR, Transport for NSW, Ron Finemore Transport, National Transport Commission and NSW Police.
“Thank-you to all the guest speakers who made the forum informative and thought provoking for participants. And thank-you to everyone who attended.
“A special mention to Ron Finemore who so generously shared his company’s experience with Seeing Machines’ Driver Monitoring System. The effective use of this technology will profoundly reduce the frequency of fatigue and distraction events while driving.
“There were lots of questions and engagement with all of the speakers – especially around access, rest areas, work diaries and fatigue rules.
“Since the forum, I have received lots of requests about how to order the free Fresnel lenses from Transport for NSW.
“A Fresnel lens is a thin plastic lens attached to the passenger side window on a heavy vehicle. It gives the driver a wide-angle view as they look through the lens. The driver can see in their blind spot and notice other road users who may otherwise have been hidden,” Ms Suitor said.
If you are a transport operator in NSW you can order free lenses here:
https://shout.finsbury.com.au/ustore/67/Home with stock code: 45097620. Note there are eligibility criteria.
“We recorded the forum (please note there were sections which we are unable to share) and the videos of each session can be viewed online,” Ms Suitor said.
The links are as follows:
Session One: Heavy Vehicle Access: https://youtu.be/BPtpwu50ICI
Session Two: Driver Fatigue: https://youtu.be/J3z0IBABknQ
Session Three: Legislation, Enforcement & Road Safety: https://youtu.be/liSvqtHM5Y8
Ron Finemore Transport Case Study: https://youtu.be/aMNr6jCuPd8
Ron Finemore Transport Case Study: https://youtu.be/aMNr6jCuPd8
The annual Be Road Ready for Harvest Field Day was held on Thursday 17 August 2023 at the Forbes Central West Livestock Exchange.