With crashes between trucks and cars a frequent occurrence on our roads, especially the Hume Highway, there's no doubt drivers need all the help they can get to navigate the danger.
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So giant, travelling billboards urging road users to stay out of truck blind spots, learn how to overtake trucks safely, and avoid overtaking turning trucks are a welcome move.
Soon, Coles trucks will become just that, having joined forces with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) for the We Need Space campaign.
Aimed at educating road users about how to share the road safely with heavy vehicles, Coles trailers carried by Linfox and Toll will feature reminders about how to drive around them.
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The NHVR has also produced a series of community service announcements fronted by Supercars champion Garth Tander and will be rolling out educational resources through driver education programs and its state and territory transport authority partners.
Coles chief legal and safety officer David Brewster said the company was committed to improving safety through the transport supply chain.
"Our transport operators travel approximately 100 million kilometres each year, delivering goods via our distribution centres to more than 800 supermarkets across the country," he said.
"We want to educate and work with road users to avoid potential incidents, so that the drivers carrying loads for Coles and the communities through which they travel can all stay safe."
Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said that in many instances of multi-vehicle crashes, it was not the heavy vehicle driver at fault.
"Heavy vehicle drivers are proud of their safe driving, it is what they do each and every day - a proud profession - but we know some motorists might feel a little intimidated by sharing the road with them," he said.
"It is important all road users recognise that trucks can be difficult to manoeuvre, have large blind spots and regularly have to navigate unpredictable traffic."
NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto welcomed the partnership with Coles and said We Need Space was a great example of the regulator, business and government working together in the interest of road safety.
For more information visit: www.weneedspace.com.au
