DRIVE Autumn 2023 Edition

AUTUMN 2023

Inside

Safer cars for country kids

Over height trucks

Overseas drivers

New trike training

Vehicle Emissions

Offset Scheme

Facial recognition

HEAVY VEHICLES

Tougher penalties for over height trucks

To minimise disruptions to our busy road network and to keep commuters moving, truck drivers will now face tougher penalties for entering Sydney tunnels in an over height truck

Throughout 2022, 45 over height trucks were detected in the Sydney Harbour Tunnel alone, almost double the number in 2021.

“The vast majority of truck drivers do the right thing, but for those who refuse to obey multiple warning signs and drive over height vehicles into our tunnels, the increased penalties should serve as a strong message that this has to stop,” said Kelly Kwan, Executive Director Regulatory Operations.

The on-the-spot fine is now $4,097, up from $1,888, and the maximum court fine is now $5,500, up from $3,740 - which is the maximum that can be applied for any road rule offence.

The demerit points for the offence have now also been raised from six to 12, and a driver who commits the offence may also have their licence and truck registration suspended for six months.

Truck drivers are reminded that they have an obligation to check their vehicles and their loads and should plan trips to ensure they don’t break rules and pay attention to signage which gives ample warning of road conditions including height limits.

Transport for NSW will continue to work with the heavy vehicle industry to ensure the rules are clear and drivers are educated about their responsibilities on our roads.

Extensions for heavy vehicles unable to obtain a HVIS due to natural disaster

Transport for NSW has approved temporary measures to assist heavy vehicle customers impacted by a declared natural disaster.

Extensions from 28 days to 60 days (starting the date the natural disaster is declared) can be granted to eligible heavy vehicles unable to obtain a Heavy Vehicle Inspection Station (HVIS) inspection due to being in a declared natural disaster affected Local Government Area.

“We understand that unforeseen circumstances can make it hard for our customers to obtain a HVIS inspection within the required time frame,” said Regina Benisano, Senior Manager Vehicle Programs

"We’re glad we can help eligible customers when they need it most.”

Heavy vehicle owners and operators can apply for an extension by contacting Service NSW.

The heavy vehicle must have a current Heavy Vehicle Authorised Inspection Scheme (HVAIS) inspection and be registered to be eligible.

Service NSW will review the request and if approved will process the extension, book a HVIS inspection, and provide the customer with a letter with new suspension dates.

For more information, customers can call HVIS on 1300 364 847.

Upcoming regulation change for overseas licence holders

From 1 July 2023, an update to the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Regulation 2017 will impact overseas driver licence holders.

The regulation change impacts any overseas licence holder on a temporary visa who arrives from 1 July 2023 onwards and intends to reside continuously for six months or more. If this overseas licence holder wants to continue to drive, they will need to obtain a NSW licence within six months of becoming a NSW resident.

“The change will help to improve road safety, assist overseas licence holders to learn about driving on NSW roads, and complete theory and driving tests to ensure they have the skills and

knowledge to be safe while driving,” said Mary Drewett, Director Customer Performance and Improvement.

“The change also allows us to capture more data in our state-wide database so we can better regulate driving behaviour as well as tighten up the illegal selling of demerit points through social media platforms,” said Mary.

More information on the regulation change will be available via nsw gov au from 1 July 2023

Safer cars for country kids

Up to 1000 young drivers in regional NSW will receive a $5,000 subsidy to help them purchase a newer, safer vehicle under the Safer Cars for Country Kids program.

In the second half of 2023, the program will be trialled with up to 50 young people who will be invited to share their feedback before it is rolled out to more regional areas.

“We know that 43 per cent of cars driven by young drivers in fatal crashes are more than 15 years old, and rural areas are often slower in the uptake of five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) rated light vehicles,” said Paul Duignan, Director Vehicle Safety

“Many young drivers are likely to inherit an old family car, or buy an older, cheaper or potentially less safe vehicle as their first car. These vehicles may be more affordable but are not as safe as newer models that have advanced safety technologies ”

Young people living in the country often face higher risks on our roads. They spend more time on the road, drive longer distances and travel at higher speeds. The program will help these drivers into newer cars with advanced safety features

“Advanced safety features in newer vehicles are proven to reduce crashes. Autonomous emergency braking can alert drivers to an imminent crash and apply the brakes in a critical situation and lane assist can warn the driver

when the vehicle is leaving its lane and provide steering input to correct the vehicle ”

To be eligible for the program you must:

be under 25 years old and live in regional NSW hold a valid NSW driver licence, and be the registered owner of a car 16 years or older that is unrated or has a 1 or 2 star used car safety rating.

Detailed eligibility criteria and details of the program, including how to apply, will be available online before the trial begins.

Learn more about safe vehicles on the Towards Zero website.

National Road Safety Week

Transport for NSW is once again supporting National Road Safety Week (14-21 May 2023) and encouraging the community to raise awareness for road safety across the state.

Founded by Peter Frazer, OAM, National Road Safety Week highlights the trauma that occurs on our roads Peter’s daughter Sarah tragically died on the Hume Highway in 2012 when her car had broken down and she pulled to the side of the road to call a tow truck. While the tow truck driver was hooking up the car, a passing truck struck and killed both Sarah and the tow truck driver.

“It's crucial that we all come together to support road safety initiatives that can save lives on our roads Road safety is a shared responsibility, and together can we achieve our goal of zero deaths and fatalities by 2050,” said Bernard Carlon, Chief of Centres for Road Safety and Maritime Safety

During the week, show your support by wearing a yellow ribbon or putting one on your car Follow our NSW Road Safety Facebook page and share, like or comment on our content during the week.

For more information on how to get involved in this week, including how to take the pledge and order your ribbons, please visit roadsafetyweek.com.au.

Supporting road safety for young drivers

Transport for NSW (Transport) is committed to supporting young drivers to become safer and more confident on our roads through the NSW Safer Drivers Course.

Completed by more than 30,000 young drivers in 2022, the Safer Drivers Course is designed to teach important skills to become a safer driver and to help young drivers avoid accidents and drive more responsibly

Did you know that each year, Transport offers 1000 places for those from a disadvantaged background or Aboriginal community to participate in the Safer Drivers Course for free?

This initiative means that regardless of their background, young drivers can access the benefits of the course

Please share this opportunity across your network Additional information on the initiative, including the eligibility criteria, is available via The Centre for Road Safety website

The NSW Safer Drivers Course is available in locations throughout NSW. To locate a provider, you can enter your postcode or suburb name into the search box via nsw gov au

New training for trikes

A new training course is now available to support people in NSW seeking a rider licence for a trike.

Trikes are three-wheeled motorcycles and in recent years have grown in popularity.

“Trikes are a great way for people with physical limitations to have more independence,” said Bernard Carlon, Chief of the Centres for Road Safety and Maritime Safety

“There is a growing group of people who prefer to ride them for their comfort and stability.”

As part of the new training course, Transport for NSW (Transport) offers rider licence applicants the opportunity to complete rider training and testing using a trike. Their licence is endorsed with a condition to ride a trike only.

“This new training course ensures that people with a trike licence have the riding experience and skills to be safe on our roads,” said Bernard.

To ride a trike on NSW roads, riders must complete the new trike training and testing. These courses are delivered with a strong focus on individual attention and safety.

The course was trialled with a group of new trike riders and received positive reviews

"I didn’t want to go through the process of getting a two-wheel licence because I’m not

going to ride a two-wheel bike,” said Peter Wrankmores, trike trial participant.

“Having this course means that I can get training that’s specifically designed for learning on a trike” said Peter.

The pre-learner course caters for up to three participants and the pre-provisional course caters for up to four participants This will ensure there is enough space at training facilities to cater for the greater width of a trike compared to motorcycles.

Only trike riders may attend trike training courses. Motorcycle riders must undertake specific motorcycle training

Transport is committed to making a wide range of transport options accessible and affordable. Trike rider courses are subsidised by the NSW Government.

A list of Learner Approved Motorcycles (LAMS) can be found at nsw.gov.au.

Trike riders are encouraged to visit motocap.com.au to compare safety and comfort ratings of gear for their ride.

Prices for the course are listed on the here and providers are listed via the rider training centre page

You can also view a case study video of the trike rider training via YouTube.

Defect notices are issued under the Road Transport Act 2013. Where significant defects are present, the registered operators are required to return to Transport for clearance.

Crack down on defect clearance fraud

Have you been scrolling through Facebook recently and spotted someone advertising a “no see” vehicle inspection report for a fee?

These inspection reports are illegal and pose a significant danger to all drivers on NSW roads as the vehicle’s defects are not formally inspected or repaired

“Transport for NSW (Transport) is cracking down on these fraudulent clearances of vehicle defects to prevent serious incidents on our roads,” said Martin Schwiebert, Manager Regulatory Compliance and Investigation.

Vehicle Emissions Offset Scheme

As NSW transitions to net zero emissions by 2050, vehicle owners now have the option to offset their carbon emissions when they register their car online through the Vehicle Emissions Offset Scheme (VEOS).

During the annual, online vehicle registration transaction via the Service NSW website, customers can select an amount between $5 and $200 to offset their carbon emissions by. The voluntary contributions will be used to purchase Australian Carbon Credit Units, with Corporate Carbon Advisory appointed as the offset provider partner for the scheme

Authorised Inspections (AIS) Stay

“This optional and non-refundable payment is just one way that the NSW government is aiming to empower people with information about the carbon impact of key goods and services and giving them opportunities to offset that impact,” said Mary Drewett, Director of Customer Performance and Improvement.

“Drivers are reminded that the requirements for clearing a defect notice, and who is authorised to clear the defect, are outlined on the defect notice, and only nominated authorised persons may clear defects in NSW.” said Martin.

Transport may suspend or cancel any registration of a vehicle if a defect notice is presented for clearance without a valid inspection report. The driver is also at risk of being fined for driving an unregistered, uninsured and defective vehicle

You can find more information on defect notices on our website.

“Service NSW in partnership with Transport for NSW and the Office of Energy and Climate Change are working together on this project to make it easy for vehicle owners to reduce their environmental input.”

Corporate Carbon Advisory will use the VEOS contributions to support projects such as the Longdowns Regeneration Project. Established in the Northwest region of NSW, the project is regenerating native forests that have been suppressed by agricultural land uses such as grazing.

“Since launching at the end of January, there has been fantastic customer uptake, with $47,381 contributed by over 1,200 customers,” said Mary

For more information on VEOS, please visit the OECC website.

Smile!Transport'sworldclasstechnologycatchesfraudster

Anyone attempting to defraud the NSW driver licencing system should think again, thanks to our world-class technology that provides data and system integrity to protect customer identity

The effectiveness of the Transport for NSW (Transport) licencing system was tested when a disqualified driver attempted to defraud Transport by pretending to be his brother.

“The customer used his brother’s customer profile and sat for both the Driver Knowledge Test and practical driving test to obtain a provisional licence,” said Wendy Pora, Acting Manager Licence Integrity and Security.

“What the customer didn’t know was that as soon as an image is loaded into our state-wide DRIVES database, it takes less than 30 seconds to compare it with over 37 million images we have on file.”

"As soon as the image was uploaded, we were able to identify the misalignment in the photos, and despite the remarkably similar physical

attributes between the brothers, the customer’s brother was the disqualified driver.”

The Licence Integrity and Security Team investigated the issue and gathered evidence, including CCTV footage, to enable the fraudulently obtained provisional licence to be cancelled

The disqualified driver has since been charged, convicted and imprisoned for attempted licence fraud.

For more information on how Transport is working to protect your identity, please visit nsw.gov.au.

Driver charged for holding a phone and baby in her lap

As part of regular adjudication of road safety camera images, members of the Transport for NSW (Transport) Enforcement Adjudication team were shocked to detect an unaccompanied L-plater driving in Bankstown with an unrestrained baby on her lap and holding a mobile phone.

“As soon as we found the footage, we contacted our colleagues at NSW Police, so they could take appropriate action beyond our powers to prosecute the mobile phone offence,” said John Willoughby, Director Regulatory Systems and Technology.

“This driver posed a huge safety risk to herself and the child on her lap, as well as other road users Thanks to our regular monitoring of driver behaviour via the road safety cameras, I’m glad that between Transport and NSW Police, we were able to ensure she was appropriately prosecuted.”

The woman was charged with five offences including reckless driving, using a mobile phone

while not permitted, driving with an unrestrained child, all while being an unaccompanied learner driver and not wearing a seatbelt properly. She pleaded guilty in court to all five charges.

The 28-year-old was issued a six-month community corrections order. She was also disqualified from holding a driver's licence for 12 months and fined a total of $300.

“2022 was the first year on record where there were no deaths on the road in NSW due to unrestrained babies,” said Bernard Carlon, Chief of the Centres for Road Safety and Maritime Safety

“Thanks to our current road safety laws, this figure is down from more than 50 deaths on our roads in the 1970’s.”

In NSW, children up to the age of six months must be restrained in a rear-facing child car seat. Children aged between six and 12 months must use either a rear facing child car seat or a forward-facing child car seat with an inbuilt harness.

A booster seat must be used for children up to seven years

TRAILERS

End of RVSA transitional period for trailers

The Commonwealth Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 has implications for manufacturers of trailers with an Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) of 4500kg or less (low-ATM trailers)

All new trailers provided to the Australian market from 1 July 2023 must have an entry on the Commonwealth’s Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) to obtain NSW registration

However, registration of Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (MVSA) plated trailers will be permitted until 31 August 2023, provided that the customer can supply a contract of sale for the trailer showing a sale date prior to 1 July 2023

Low Volume Trailer Manufacturers

Trailer manufacturers producing more than four low-ATM trailers in a 12-month period will be required to obtain a Vehicle Type Approval from the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, by applying on the ROVER Portal.

From 1 July 2023, trailer manufacturers will need to supply evidence to Transport for NSW (Transport) that they are the holder of a current Vehicle Type Approval to obtain NSW Trailer Certifications. Blue slips will no longer be required to obtain a NSW Trailer Certification.

For more information about obtaining RAV entries and Vehicle Type Approvals, please see the Commonwealth’s Low-ATM Trailer webpage.

Homemade Trailer Manufacturers

From 1 July 2023, Transport will no longer supply VINs for homemade trailers Trailer manufacturers producing four or less low-ATM trailers in a 12-month period may obtain Concessional RAV entries and VINs from the Commonwealth through ROVER for the trailer/s they produce.

Boat Trailer (Rear Load Projection)

Exemption Notice 2022

Transport for NSW has provided an exemption to over mass and over dimension vehicles, and vehicle combinations to allow them to safely operate on NSW roads.

A motor vehicle towing a boat trailer with an Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) of 4 5 tonne or less may operate on a NSW road if the combination meets the dimension requirements under the Boat Trailer Combination Exemption Notice 2022 and complies with:

all dimension, lighting and braking system requirements; displays the appropriate signage; and the trailer’s rear number plate meets the visibility requirements.

New scheme promotes interstate work

From 1 December 2022, all states and territories (except for Queensland) have participated in the Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR) scheme.

AMR allows workers in certain industries, including the newly added bus driver authority and driving instructor licence holders, to work in a second state or territory without the need to get a licence or pay additional fees in that second state or territory.

“This federal initiative provides great support for workers as it reduces red tape and boosts employment opportunities in many sectors around the country,” said Chris Smith, Director Customer Licensing.

Since launching on 1 July 2022, there have been 10 bus drivers and two driving instructors notifying interstate regulators they have started working in other states. A further 39 bus drivers have notified Transport for NSW of their intent to work in NSW, with 30 being eligible.

“The initiative has been incredibly well received within the bus sector as it will help to address current shortages in NSW and get more bus drivers on the road faster,” said Chris

To work in a second state under AMR, eligible workers must hold a valid and current licence in their home jurisdiction. For most people, this is where they live and carry out most of their work.

While working in NSW, workers can only undertake activities they are allowed to perform under their home state licence and must comply with local regulations.

More information on AMR, including a full list of occupations, notification requirements, compliance advice and how to notify can be accessed via nsw.gov.au.

All aboard - Bus Safety Week!

This year’s Bus Safety Week took place from Monday 20 to Sunday 26 February. As part of the annual Be Bus Aware campaign, Bus Safety Week aims to improve safety on and around buses for all road users, including bus passengers, pedestrians, riders and drivers.

To help spread the word about Bus Safety Week, Transport for NSW promoted the initiative across radio, social media and on selected buses, bus stops and train stations.

A toolkit of materials was also made available for the bus industry and stakeholders, including videos, posters and images for websites and social media pages.

Bus safety resources can be accessed all yearround via Transport's creative assets library and hard-copy assets are available to orderhere (search ‘bus safety’ and ‘Be Bus Aware’).

“We encourage all bus operators to share these materials to promote important bus safety messages with their customers,” said Shirley Wilson, Senior Operations Officer.

For further information on bus safety, please visitBe Bus Aware.

Changes to OTSI bus incident reporting requirements

The Office of Transport Safety Investigations (OTSI) has revised the list of significant safety occurrences that bus operators must report to the OTSI Duty Officer immediately by phone.

As of 6 March 2023, the following significant safety incidents must be reported immediately to OTSI on 1800 677 766:

a person being fatally injured

the driver of the bus being incapacitated fire or an explosion on the bus

a failure of the steering or brakes of the bus

a bus being in motion while not under the effective control of a driver (e.g. bus rollaway)

a person being caught in the doors of the bus while the bus is in motion

a collision where the bus requires towing a collision where a pedestrian is struck and is seriously injured

a school child being seriously injured (including children in organised care)

a child left on a bus unattended, while in organised care

any other accident or incident likely to generate immediate or intense public interest or concern.

There is no change to the legislative requirements for what incidents must be reported via the Bus Incident Management Database (BIMD).

You can view a summary of the changes here.

These reporting changes will ensure the OTSI Duty Officer can focus on events that may require OTSI to deploy to a site or undertake other immediate actions. The changes will also help reduce the administrative burden on operators when an incident occurs.

OTSI is working with Transport for NSW to update information in the BIMD about what incidents must be reported immediately by phone to OTSI

OTSI has access to the BIMD and analyses data from incident reports to develop strategies and practical advice for operators to help avoid similar incidents in the future

You can find out more about bus notifiable occurrences on the OTSI website.

Meet Shirley Wilson

Shirley Wilson, Senior Operations Improvement Officer from the Transport for NSW (Transport) Regulatory Operations Team works closely with bus operators and drivers to ensure they’re aware of their responsibilities and meet compliance obligations under the legislation and the Bus Operator Accreditation Scheme (BOAS).

Through direct consultation, leadership, education and guidance, Shirley helps to ensure that bus operators have the best tools and systems in place to reduce or eliminate the possibility or recurrence of bus safety incidence and accidents within NSW

An important feature of this work is collaborating with BusNSW as part of their regional seminars. During the March 2023 seminar series, Shirley and Ros Ryan, Senior Manager Partnerships and Performance, visited Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Tamworth, Dubbo, Cowra, Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Canberra, Merimbula and Ulladulla

During the seminar, participants received an overview of the industry data for BOAS performance for the final quarter of 2022, including bus incidence and heavy vehicle compliance data as well as important reminders, education and support to help operators and drivers to continue to meet BOAS requirements.

“The regional seminars provide an opportunity to hear firsthand the issues facing the bus industry, individually or collectively, and having the face-to-face interaction reiterates Transport’s commitment to engagement, support and communication,” said Shirley.