The ATA’s submission to the NHVR advocates that allowing a one hour personal use exemption for fatigue regulated heavy vehicles is an opportunity to promote quality rest, encourage compliance and advance safety outcomes. In its Notice of Proposed Rule Making - Private use of fatigue-related heavy vehicles the NHVR proposes the introduction of an exemption for ‘permitted personal activities’ similar to the exemption already in place in New South Wales (NSW).

Heavy vehicle crash statistics as an indicator of industry fatigue management performance, comparing NSW – where the exemption already applies and other States and Territories where it does not, indicate that the introduction of this type of work and rest hours exemption has no adverse effect on road safety outcomes.