AUSTRALIA’s National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has congratulated bus and truck owners and operators that have contributed to a significant improvement in the “mechanical health” of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet, following results of a major survey, recently.
NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto says the results of the National Roadworthiness Survey 2021 (NRS:2021), which inspected 13,325 heavy vehicle units across 8338 heavy vehicle combinations – including bus and coach – in all Australian states and territories between May and June, 2021, showed significant improvements.
Overall there was a 16 per cent decrease in the incidence of ‘non-conformities’ amongst hauling units since 2016. The decrease in incidence of non-conformities was greatest amongst bus/coaches (down 22 per cent) while least amongst rigid trucks (down 15 per cent).
The incidence of non-conformity was lower for semi-trailers (31 per cent), B-doubles (25 per cent), roadtrains (25 per cent), bus/coach (8 per cent) and plant vehicles (13 per cent).
“In the last five years, we have seen the rate of non-conformities drop from 48 per cent of units inspected to 31 per cent,” Petroccitto said.
“Importantly the most serious cases of major non-conformities and ‘groundings’ has dropped from 12 per cent of inspected vehicles in 2016 to six per cent in 2021.
“The continuing maturity of the industry in adopting better safety practices, like whole-of-business safety management systems and daily safety checks, have been a key contributor in driving the downward trend.
“While it highlights progress made due to the hard work being undertaken to improve and monitor the Australian heavy vehicle fleet, I’m determined as an industry that we continue to push on and ensure that Australia has one of the safest heavy vehicle fleets in the world.
“In particular, programs that continue to drive down the age of the fleet, such as the NHVR’s Vehicle SETUP plan, will be vital going forward as NRS: 2021 again shows a strong link between vehicle age and mechanical safety.”
GO BUS!
Although the survey had a heavy truck and freight focus, no fewer than 1036 vehicles in the bus category participated.
Overall, in the NHVR Roadworthiness Survey, 8,338 vehicles and combinations were inspected, containing a total of 13,325 units, NHVR confirms. The majority of vehicles were intercepted in the same jurisdiction to which they were registered. The average age of heavy vehicles on Australian roads is 10.2 years, with a median mileage of almost 300,000km, it explains.
Compared to the 2016 findings, metro and regional bus/coaches, metro semi-trailers and regional plant/SPV units were half as likely to record a non-conformity.
KEY FINDINGS
From the NRS:2021 survey the key findings included:
· The rate of all non-conformities has dropped from the 48 per cent in 2016 to 31 per cent in 2021;
· The rate of major non-conformities and grounding has halved to six per cent of vehicle inspected;
· Brakes remained the highest non-conforming components – reducing from 25 per cent in 2016 to 14 per cent in 2021;
· Rigid trucks were the highest non-conforming vehicle type at 38 per cent, which has again reduced from 52 per cent in 2016;
· The average age of the inspected fleet was 10.2 years, compared to 9.2 years in 2016.
On that particular note, vehicle age had been found in NRBS:2016 to be strongly associated with the incidence of non-conformities. A profile of age of vehicle units was assessed to provide context to the roadworthiness results. The age of each unit was calculated based on the date of manufacture, referenced to the survey year for the unit. Overall 38 per cent of total units were assessed to be 12 years and older, and 50 per cent of total units were assessed to be nine years and older. B-doubles were the newest, with the average age below 5.5 years. Rigid trucks, buses/coaches, plant/SPV and trailers were again the oldest, with an average exceeding nine years. Four in ten of each of these unit types were 12 years and older.
NON-CONFORMITY DEFINED
As the NHVR explains in the survey, categories of non-conformity included: Brakes, Couplings, Steering and Suspensions, Wheels, Tyres and Hubs, Structure and Body, Seats and Seatbelts, Lights and Reflectors, Mirrors, Windscreens and Windows, Engine, Driveline and Exhaust. Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Natural Gas (NG) vehicles, as well as Bus/Motorhomes were also included within vehicle systems.
Petroccitto says the results would help inform the regulator’s modern approach to regulation that uses intelligence to address the greatest safety risks and keeps compliant operators moving.
“I’d also like to thank the NHVR staff and staff from transport agencies across Australia for their assistance in conducting the survey, particularly with constantly changing operating condition due to local Covid restrictions,” he said.
“Despite the challenges, officers across all states and territories inspected 17 per cent more heavy vehicles in 2021, and through the use of technology and consistent inspection systems we were able to reduce the average inspection time from the from 45 minutes in 2016 to 31 minutes in 2021.”
ABOUT THE SURVEY
The National Roadworthiness Survey (NRS) was successfully conducted from 5 May to 29 July, 2021, with 8,338 vehicle combinations inspected (7,130 in National Roadworthiness Baseline Survey 2016 (NRBS)), encompassing a total of 13,325 overall units (hauling and trailers), without incident, the NHVR confirms.
The NHVR and jurisdictional partners, in partnership with Kantar, developed improved systems and roadside data-capture applications including the integration of registration data, co-ordinated inspection methodologies using a Team’s approach.
Industry consultation was also undertaken in the planning phases, which aided reduced average inspection times to 31 minutes from 45 minutes (NRBS) equating to 2000 hours productivity gain, it explains.
‘Conformity’ rates have increased across all vehicle types since NRBS, particularly for buses and coaches with a national average of 69 per cent. States and territories’ conformity percentages vary from 51 per cent (ACT) to 83 per cent (WA), respectively.
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) administers a set of laws for heavy vehicles (over 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass) under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).
ABOUT NRBS
ABOUT NRBSThe NRBS is the broadest, most well-resourced and comprehensive assessment of the condition of the Australian heavy vehicle fleet ever undertaken. The NRBS was conducted by heavy vehicle ‘authorised officers’ completing inspections of relevant vehicles around Australia, entering data into tablets using a Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) program. The results enable NHVR to: identify high-risk vehicle components, vehicle systems, vehicle types, operators and industry sectors; plus develop a framework for selection of vehicles to inspect the right vehicles, for the right reasons.
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ONLINE LINK
The full survey and other results are available at: www.nhvr.gov.au/roadworthiness
Photography: courtesy NHVR
