Successful NTA education programme raising awareness

New Zealand Trucking Association COO, Carol McGeady

Since 2017, the small team at the New Zealand Trucking Association (NTA) has been taking its flagship Road Safety Truck to schools, training organisations, and community events nationwide with the goal of sharing simple and practical tips on how to share the road safely with heavy vehicles.

Conversations with those outside the industry revealed that many road users had little to no understanding of how trucks operate and why they need extra space on the road. Over the years, NTA has developed engaging and interactive programmes that directly challenged these prejudices with the Road Safety Truck as the educational setting.

The success of this programme is now reflected in hard data. On average, 80% of participants had only limited knowledge (7–10% had no knowledge) of how to interact safely with heavy vehicles before completing the programme. After completing the programme, 96% of participants report understanding the risks, challenges, and safety requirements of sharing the road with trucks.

Students learning about the importance of being careful around heavy vehicles inside the unique NTA Road Safety Truck.

The association says these findings are both encouraging and concerning.

“This is life-saving work,” says NTA COO, Carol McGeady. “Every time we run a session, we know we are directly reducing the risk of a crash. Seeing drivers go from having no idea why a truck needs space to fully understanding and respecting it is exactly why we keep doing this.”

Adding to this accomplishment is a new initiative, the ‘Don’t Muck with a Truck’ programme focussed on three core safety messages:

Understanding Blind Zones

How to Pass a Truck Safely

How Turning Trucks Move and Why They Need Room

‘Don’t Muck with a Truck’ programme was pioneered by the Australian National Heavy Vehicle Regulator who have kindly shared it with the NTA. If you’d like to find out more about the ‘Don’t Muck with a Truck’ programme register here or contact Carol McGeady here.