The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has released a series of updates across this week, with a business under fire for safety issues, technology, fatigue and safety updates.

Scrap metal business fined

A Melbourne-based scrap metal business has been handed down a substantial penalty after failing to implement systems and procedures to manage the legal mass limits of their loads.

The NVHR first intercepted one of the company’s vehicles in 2021, which was loaded at 120.42 per cent of its prescribed mass limit.

The company pleaded guilty to a Category 1 offence – the most serious offence under the Heavy Vehicle National Law – with a conviction recorded and a fine of $180,000 imposed.

The three Directors of the company also pleaded guilty to offences involving failure to exercise due diligence and ensure the safety of their transport activities, and received fines of $8,500,$7,000, and $7,000.

NHVR acting director of prosecutions Elim Chan said a heavy vehicle overloaded past its mass limits increased the safety risk to both the operator of the vehicle and light vehicle drivers.

“Heavy vehicles which are loaded or operated beyond their prescribed mass limit pose a serious risk to public safety as the excess load compromises the stability, steering, performance and braking capability of a heavy vehicle,” she says.

“It’s imperative to have systems and procedures in place to ensure drivers and loaders are adequately trained in their roles to enable ongoing compliance with the Heavy Vehicle National Law and to keep drivers and members of the public safe.”

Fatigue operation results released

The NHVR has released the findings of a recent major operation, reminding heavy vehicle drivers to make fatigue management their top priority.

The five-day operation on the border of West Australia and South Australia saw an increased presence of authorised officers with the aim of not only enhancing road safety and compliance with vehicle standards, but also to prevent fatigue-related breaches.

Over 480 individual vehicle units were inspected as part of 151 intercepts over the five days.

NHVR Operations Manager Stephen Bryers says while the reduction in mechanical compliance issues is pleasing, the small increase in fatigue-related offences hammers home the need to take the issue seriously.

“Comparing these results to a similar operation we carried out last year in the same area with consistent intercept rates, there was a 14 per cent reduction in mechanical non-compliance offences and a two per cent increase in fatigue matters,” Bryers says.

“It’s pleasing to see mechanical non-compliance decrease so significantly in the space of a year, not to mention a large majority of the mechanical defects identified during this operation were very minor.

“However, the slight increase we saw in fatigue matters only reiterates how important it is for drivers to be vigilant when it comes to complying with their work and rest requirements.

“Throughout the operation, we identified several potential recidivist operators, and officers didn’t hesitate to enforce the HVNL where required for those pushing the envelope on safety, with 16 infringements handed out, in addition to 37 defect notices.

“We want to see safe vehicles, and safe drivers, on our roads.”

NHVR Chief Operations Officer Paul Salvati says fatigue management needs to be a priority in the face of increasing non-compliance numbers.

“Authorised officers undertook 140 mechanical checks, finding a 24.5 per cent rate of mechanical non-compliance, while 138 work diary checks resulted in a 7.3 per cent rate of fatigue related non-compliance,” Salvati says.

“In light of this, we want to remind drivers that adhering to work and rest requirements is something they should be prioritising each and every day – fatigue management isn’t just a legal obligation, it’s critical to ensuring every road user makes it home safely.

“By scheduling rest breaks, keeping accurate work diaries, and taking proactive steps to manage fatigue, drivers can contribute to safer roads and reduce the risk of accidents.”

“This operation was a massive effort by the NHVR’s safety and compliance officers, and authorised officers from MainRoads WA, highlighting the importance of cross border operations.

“Through this collaborative effort we were able to harmonise our regulatory approach and on-road resources to obtain data and intelligence, with heavy vehicle non-compliance identified on both sides of the border.

“The NHVR is focused on sustainable safety practices, rather than handing out prescriptive fines for minor or accidental offences – we want to see long-term change and create a lasting impact that extends beyond our operations.”

National Network Map more available

The NHVR has also made its National Network Map available through its Next Generation Route Planner (NGRP).

CEO Sal Petroccitto says this has been a goal of the NHVR’s since the planner first released in April 2022. He says this will help all vehicle networks stay up to date.

“The route planner has always been intended to support the National Network Map, to allow industry to more seamlessly plan and manage journeys across borders,” he says.

“Where previously map updates were delayed, now the NGRP will immediately reflect updates published by road managers to the National Network Map.

“The maps are displayed as layers for different vehicle networks., with industry operators able to overlay networks across state borders, as well as within borders, to determine the most efficient route for their journey.

“Over the coming months, extra functionality will become available to industry to allow routes to be planned by vehicle combination, with a view of the full access available to an operator’s fleet under vehicle network maps and their access permits.”