The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is reminding school leavers of the importance of sharing the road safely with trucks through the ‘Don’t #uck With A Truck’ campaign at Schoolies events in the Gold Coast.
‘Don’t #uck With A Truck’ is funded by the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative and focuses on improving young drivers’ awareness and education of how to drive safely around trucks.
NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto says while heavy vehicle safety is not a usual topic of discussion amongst young people, the NHVR’s goal is to bring the conversation to life.
“At the event, school leavers will have the opportunity to go inside the back of a semi-trailer and take part in a virtual reality experience, giveaways and other learning opportunities to help them feel more comfortable sharing the road with trucks,” Petroccitto says.
“Typically, around 70 per cent of serious incidents involving both heavy and light vehicles are the fault of the light vehicle, highlighting the need for greater education, and this education starts with our young drivers.”
A recent study conducted by the NHVR surveyed 1000 drivers aged 16-25 across Australia and highlighted the disconnect between young drivers’ self-assessed confidence and their actual comfort level sharing the road with heavy vehicles.
The survey revealed that while young drivers believed they understood how to safely share the road with heavy vehicles, just 29 percent felt very knowledgeable about the rules, bringing to light a real risk as an influx of school graduates prepare to travel to Schoolies events across the country.
72 percent of young drivers agreed they wanted to find out more information about increasing their safety when sharing the road with trucks.
TikTok creator Luisa Dal Din has jumped on board to promote the campaign and will be in attendance at the event spreading the message.
With over 230,000 followers and 9.3 million likes on TikTok, Luisa Dal Din is excited to use her social media following to promote a vital road safety campaign.
“While classes may be dismissed, Don’t #uck With A Truck is still teaching graduates important life lessons at Schoolies this year and I’m stoked to be involved and support this important initiative,” Dal Din says.
“When I was finishing school and getting my P plates – driving safely around heavy vehicles was something that just wasn’t spoken about – but it can have a real impact on saving lives on our roads.”
Created last year, the campaign will also feature on social media (TikTok, Instagram), Spotify and outdoor billboards throughout the duration of Schoolies to reiterate the safety message to young drivers.
For more information on the campaign visit www.dontmuckwithatruck.com.au