Forestry Corporation of NSW, who manage Imlay Road, developed the driver awareness campaign in conjunction with Australian Trucking Safety Services and Solutions with the support of the South East Truck Safety Committee, a local committee comprising Forestry Corporation, Pentarch Forestry Services, VicForests, Roads and Maritime Services, NSW Police, local councils and VicRoads.

Forestry Corporation’s Bombala-based sales and haulage coordinator Tim Gillespie-Jones said the campaign was developed in response to a recent spike in heavy vehicle accidents involving loaded log trucks, including two rollovers on the 57-kilometre Imlay Road alone over the past seven months.

“Imlay Road is a key route for transporting log products from Forestry Corporation’s softwood plantations and native forests to local timber processors, so it sees around 7,000 truck movements a year. We want to see each and every one of these trips completed safely,” Mr Gillespie-Jones said.

“With more than 500 locals employed directly in the industry, a bad accident on Imlay Road could have lasting consequences for local families and would likely be felt by the whole community.

“While we’ve been lucky that no one’s been seriously hurt, everyone in the supply chain is concerned about the recent spike in truck rollovers and wants to be involved in the solution

“We needed a new approach to driver safety, so we have been working directly with drivers to tackle the issue. Earlier in the year we ran training seminars to educate drivers about preventing rollovers and we have now installed a series of banners along Imlay Road that have been designed by drivers to remind them of this training each and every time they use the road.”

Alan Pincott from Australian Trucking Safety Services and Solutions, who was instrumental in developing and implementing VicRoads’ successful Heavy Vehicle Roll Over Prevention Program, said increasing driver awareness would go a long way to reducing the likelihood of another accident.

“It’s great to see these guys all working together to look after each other. These are highly skilled professionals and driving a loaded 25 metre B-Double down the Imlay requires an incredible amount of skill and concentration. A minor distraction or lapse in concentration will bring you unstuck very quickly,” Mr Pincott said.

Mr Gillespie-Jones said new banners would go up every few months to reinforce the safety message.

“Imlay Road is used by the whole community, so we are inviting local schools to come up with safety slogans for new banners. Forestry Corporation and Allied Natural Wood Exports will provide a prize for the best slogan. Contact our Bombala office on 6459 5200 for details,” Mr Gillespie-Jones said.