I was prompted to do this audit as a result of an horrific crash on the F3 freeway at Mooney Mooney. On 22 October 2004 a semi-trailer loaded with 18 tonnes of building material crashed into 34 vehicles travelling north on the F3 freeway. One woman died and two people were seriously injured.
The crash investigation revealed that the semi-trailer was unregistered and unroadworthy. This raised questions about the Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW (RTA) role in regulating heavy vehicles travelling on our roads.
The RTA is responsible for improving road safety. It is also responsible for managing the impact of heavy vehicles on our roads, both in terms of safety and damage. It does this by regulating road use and checking compliance.
The RTA has achieved success in managing road safety issues, leading to steady reductions in the number of people killed on our roads to the lowest levels since 1945.
However, heavy vehicles are over represented in crashes. They represent around two per cent of vehicles registered in NSW and together with those registered interstate, are involved in nearly 22 per cent of crashes where someone is killed.
This report explores how well the RTA manages heavy vehicle safety and highlights some of the challenges in this complex issue.
Auditor-General
May 2009