Comment sought for in-vehicle technology

The deadline is drawing near for submissions on the National Transport Commission's recent discussion paper on in-vehicle technologies in heavy vehicles

Owners and operators of trucks, buses and coaches are being asked to comment on the National Transport Commission’s latest discussion paper, which focuses on emerging in-vehicle technologies.

The 105-page paper, titled Developing a Compliance Framework of Heavy Vehicle Telematics, examines the use of such technologies and how they apply to vehicle-based variables (like speed, location, travel times, mass and load), driver-based variables (including fatigue management), and vehicle-driver approaches (which can indicate how well a driver actually drives).

The paper follows on from a stakeholder workshop dealing with these issues held in October, 2013.

The NTC’s Chief Executive and Commissioner, Paul Retter, said there was a pressing need for regulators to keep abreast of these fast-evolving technologies and their impact on road laws and privacy – and the opportunities they present to enhance heavy vehicle safety.

“On one hand the use of telematics in heavy vehicles gives regulators an excellent opportunity to improve road safety, but that must also be balanced against the need to regulate access to data and protect privacy,” he said.

“There are also many practical benefits to heavy vehicle companies voluntarily installing telematics in their trucks, buses and other vehicles that go beyond making sure they are compliant with regulations.

“Businesses can benefit by gaining insights into their own operations by monitoring vehicle tracking, fuel use, and staff deployment to become more efficient by installing telematics devices,” he added.

Importantly, the draft framework also seeks to deliver a national approach to how telematics data is handled.

“If heavy vehicle businesses are going to invest in new technologies they want the certainty that not only are they going to meet their business needs, but also that they are going to meet regulations across state borders,” said Retter.

Feedback on the paper, which is available for download at www.ntc.gov.au, will be sought until February 7, 2014.

Comment sought for in-vehicle technology

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