Riders will soon have more reason for confidence in truck drivers, with key safety resources now translated so that truck drivers from diverse language backgrounds can access safety information in their primary language.
The Heavy Vehicle Toolbox Talks, developed by the National Road Safety Partnership Program, cover key safety topics for heavy vehicle drivers, including fatigue, distraction, load management, blind spots, pedestrians, weather conditions and more.
They were developed through collaboration between industry, researchers and government to provide short, evidence-based safety talks that drivers can watch in around 20 minutes.
The talks, translated as part of National Truck Week, are now available in Arabic, Simplified Chinese and Punjabi as well as English.
A significant proportion of Australia's truck drivers do not speak English as a first language. Those who grew up in another country may lack expert understanding of Australian road rules and trucking regulations, as well as Australian enforcement and court processes.
The new translated resources aim to make safety information more easily accessible to truck drivers who are not confident English speakers.
The resources are being promoted by truck drivers from the respective language communities, who appear in campaign materials and outreach activities.
The Heavy Vehicle Toolbox Talks are free for anyone to use and download from the National Road Safety Partnership Program website.
Translation of the resources was funded by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, supported by the federal government.
Australia's Human Right Commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, welcomed the project.
"Language should never be a barrier to safety," he said.
"When workers can access critical information in a language they understand, they are empowered to make safer decisions for themselves and for the wider community.
"Initiatives like this recognise the diversity of Australia's transport workforce and demonstrate how inclusive approaches can deliver tangible safety benefits."
Or become our friend and subscribe to receive our fortnightly newsletter.