Road traffic crashes caused by buses and trucks occur because of unsafe vehicles and unsafe driving. They are largely preventable and have a range of negative consequences:
- They can have a significant impact on your company costs in terms of insurance, vehicle repairs and staff turnover
- Those involving large vehicles, which tend to cause more serious incidents than smaller vehicles, reflect badly on the road haulage and road passenger industry
- Most deaths associated with large truck and bus crashes occur to people outside the truck or bus – occupants of other vehicles as well as pedestrians and cyclists.
Using unsafe vehicles, driving carelessly or engaging in other unsafe driving behaviour (such as excessive driving, not taking enough breaks or taking insufficient rest or break periods) increases the likelihood of an incident that can lead to serious or catastrophic consequences for drivers, operators and other road users.
Download the RSA Guide to keeping your commercial vehicle roadworthy (PDF)
The Road Safety Authority has produced a comprehensive guide – Bus and Truck Operators’ Guide to Managing for Road Safety (PDF) – to make sure that all vehicles used for carrying goods and passengers are used safely and legally.
The procedures and systems in the guide are designed to monitor and control drivers’ hours, record-keeping, speeding and driver licensing.
