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Electronic work diaries won't solve driver fatigue

16 February 2018

The ATA does not support the rollout of voluntary electronic work diaries as proposed by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

“The standards don’t meet the needs of the industry and they focus more on enforcement than achieving safety outcomes,” ATA Safety and Skills Adviser Melissa Weller said.

“The current NHVR draft policy and standards offer insufficient tolerances and no flexibility, leaving drivers exposed to prosecution for inconsequential technical breaches that will have no impact on safety.

“The ATA believes the primary aim of EWDs must be to increase industry safety through better fatigue management by aiding drivers in achieving compliance – not to increase enforcement opportunities,” she said.  

The ATA has initiated a driver fatigue management hackathon, to be held at Trucking Australia in April 2018. Developers will pitch their ideas to our delegates, who will then challenge, critique and consider the top solutions, before selecting the best one.

The ATA’s submission can be found here.

Read the 16 February issue here and subscribe to our newsletter here