The latest Major Incident Investigation Report from the National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC) has provided updated insights into the primary causes of significant truck crashes across Australia.
The 2025 report, released in conjunction with Safe Work Month, reveals that inattention, distraction, and inappropriate speed remain the most frequent human factors behind major truck incidents. However, the report notes a modest reduction in these categories compared to the previous year.
Data collected for the report indicates that incidents attributed to inattention or distraction accounted for 17.9% of major truck crashes in 2024, reflecting a 1.6% decrease from 2023.
Dr Jasmine Proud of Monash University’s Accident Research Centre said that these incidents are predominantly single-vehicle crashes, suggesting that the transport sector is in a strong position to address this issue internally.
“Inattention/distraction accounted for 17.9% of all major incidents in 2024, a fall of 1.6% on the previous year. These are most commonly single-vehicle incidents, indicating this issue is one the transport industry is best placed to address,” she said.
The report identifies inadequate following distance as the second most common human factor in truck crashes, with 80% of these incidents taking place in metropolitan areas.
These events typically involve another vehicle, often a passenger car, highlighting the challenges of interactions between heavy and light vehicles in urban environments.
Additionally, the frequency of crashes related to inappropriate speed has declined over the past five years, dropping from 13.8% in 2019 to 8.6% in 2024.
The findings suggest that such incidents are not limited to high-speed environments. Factors such as vehicle stability, load movement, and the design of articulated trucks play a role, particularly when navigating curves.
Janelle Greene, chief executive officer of NTI, stated that the purpose of the NTARC report is to identify actionable areas for improving road safety.
This year’s edition includes a new breakdown of data by state and territory, which is expected to support more precise safety strategies.
Greene said that fostering both systemic and behavioural changes is essential to lowering the number of incidents linked to human factors and enhancing road safety for everyone.
“Encouragingly, a range of industry-led and government-supported programs are already targeting these issues, from tailored education and awareness campaigns to resource packs, toolbox talks, and workshops, through to policy and technology innovations,” she said.
The report also notes that in fatal crashes involving both trucks and cars, heavy vehicles were not at fault in 85.7% of cases.
Greene emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts between industry and government to enhance safety for drivers.
“Industry and government are working together to make change, and the NTARC partnership is committed to continuing to support heavy vehicle road safety research to better understand the unique hazards of the sector and how they can be appropriately managed to better protect the drivers that keep Australia moving,” she said.
In parallel with the report’s release, NTI has announced support for a new scholarship at Monash University’s Accident Research Centre.
The NTARC Driving Health Scholarship, funded by NTI and administered through NTARC, will provide a PhD candidate with the opportunity to research health and wellbeing issues affecting professional drivers in Australia.
The scholarship, which offers a fixed-term appointment of 3.5 years and a stipend of up to $40,000 per year, will be based at Monash University’s Clayton campus.
The research will be supervised by associate professor Sjaan Koppel, with the aim of building on previous studies that examined the physical and mental health of truck drivers.
