New technology is being introduced to the west to help reduce the number of heavy vehicle rollovers and fatal crashes.
Developed by Port Melbourne-based company AutoTest Products, the AutoMonitor, a black box for trucks, combines four technologies into one.
The box features a world-first rollover prediction system initially developed for the US military, GPS tracking, a tachograph and an onboard vehicle health system.
It replaces driver log books, recording the full history of any trip, including petrol consumption, load weights and driver rest stops.
The technology was unveiled last week at Derrimut trucking company MacGregor Logistics, where federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester was briefed on its capabilities.
“This technology will change lives and save lives and I look forward to seeing it implemented by operators across Australia,” Mr Chester said.
MacGregor Logistics, a major transport company based in the western suburbs, is the first to embrace the technology after working closely with AutoTest Products during the production phase.
The arrival of the AutoMonitor is timely, with 217 people dying Australia-wide as a result of crashes involving heavy trucks or buses in the 12 month period ending in March, 2017.
AutoTest Products director David Jenkins said the new technology had the capacity to eliminate all unroadworthy trucks from the roads.
“The AutoMonitor safety system can be easily installed in any truck, allowing fleet managers to check the performance of the vehicles’ brakes and the shock absorbers while the truck is moving,” he said.
“Fleet managers are then able to check the roadworthiness of the vehicles on the road, schedule maintenance accordingly, track all vehicle locations and the manner in which they are being driven. In the case of an impending rollover, the AutoMonitor warns the driver with a flashing traffic light system on the dashboard and a loud alarm.
“Combined, these management tools provide a major safety and economic benefit to large and small transport companies.”
