Share road safety responsibility: NHVR plea after increase in deaths from heavy vehicle crashes on New South Wales rural roads

The call comes during Rural Road Safety month, as the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) shared data showing both the number of fatal heavy vehicle crashes and resulting fatalities on NSW rural roads have risen.

In the past financial year, 25 fatal heavy vehicle crashes on NSW rural roads claimed 27 lives, up from 19 crashes and 22 fatalities in FY25.

Nationally in FY26, 59 fatal heavy vehicles crashes occurred on rural roads resulting in 63 deaths, up from 52 crashes and 59 fatalities in FY25.

NHVR Chief Operations Officer Paul Salvati said the data from the Australian Road Deaths Database showed a worrying upward trend.

“Between FY24 and FY25 we saw a drop in both the number of fatal rural heavy vehicle crashes and the lives lost as a result of them in New South Wales – it seemed messages about road safety on rural roads was getting through,” Mr Salvati said.

“Sadly, between FY25 and FY26, both of these figures have jumped in the state - we are losing more lives to more heavy vehicle crashes in country areas and it’s a trend we must turn around.

“Rural roads present unique risks – they are narrower, often far from emergency assistance and  can present a relentless and tiring driving experience.

“Drivers on these roads have a very different experience than those in metro areas – simple things such as more active wildlife on the road and less physical separation between opposing traffic streams can be factors that contribute to crashes.

“Light vehicle drivers using these roads will share space with some of the largest heavy vehicles in the country – these vehicles need much longer distances to stop safely and have multiple blind spots which makes overtaking more dangerous.”

Rural Road Safety Month is an initiative of the Australian Road Safety Foundation and runs throughout August.

The percentage of fatal rural heavy vehicle crashes varies across jurisdictions regulated by the NHVR, but Tasmania had the worst record with 100% of fatal heavy vehicle crash in the state in FY26 occurring in rural areas.

Queensland had the next highest rate at 43%, followed by South Australia and New South Wales at 40% and 36.5% respectively. Victoria has a significantly lower rate of rural fatal heavy vehicle crashes at just 17.5%.*

Nationally, the FY26 data showed most fatal heavy vehicle crashes in rural areas occurred in 100-110km/h speed zones, which are more prevalent outside of major cities.

The NHVR runs ongoing safety campaigns to educate experienced and newer drivers on how to drive safely around trucks in all settings.

In FY26 financial year the NHVR ran more than 60 operations across its jurisdiction to educate and inform drivers operating in rural areas of their responsibilities under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

The regulator’s Safety and Compliance teams also work with agencies such as state police to run holistic road safety and compliance operations in the regions. 

You can find more information about the Australian Road Safety Foundation’s Rural Road Safety Month. 

*Note: The heavy vehicle fatal crashes and fatality data quoted was obtained from the Australian Road Deaths Database (ARDD). The ARDD uses the National Remoteness Areas 2021 categories to establish defined areas. Rural statistics were derived from the Outer Regional Australia, Remote Australia and Very Remote Australia areas. This data relates to HVNL states only.