Mineral producers should order workers to cease hazardous and unlawful indicator use, an industry group said.
Politely signalling for other drivers to overtake could be illegal and, in some cases, cost heavy vehicle operators their lives.
“This practice, while intended to be courteous, is actually dangerous and illegal,” Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA northwest regional officer Meghan Brouwer said according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“Trucks have been turning right into mine-site entrances only to have other vehicles attempt to overtake at the same time.”
BHP contractor Adrian Conway previously used a public road on the way back to the mine site, when he indicated to turn right onto the access track. The light vehicle operator behind him thought he was signalling to let him pass, so he began overtaking and unintentionally crashed into Conway’s 3.5 tonne truck.
“There was just an explosion right next to my head and then I was just coasting off into the bush,” he recalled in a video shared on YouTube.
The heavy vehicle was severely damaged and un-drivable after the high speed impact.
“The front of the cabin was no longer attached to the truck. [The] steering wheel, pedals, windscreen, driver-side door was all gone,” Conway can be heard saying.
The State Road Safety Commission also believes haul truck operators should stop indicating for other drivers to overtake them, especially along Far North and interior highways. The agency recommends using two-way radios to communicate between vehicles.
“It is a convention people have got used to doing and it is a reflection of courtesy and sharing the road, which we would usually promote but it can be dangerous,” Commissioner Adrian Warner said according to the broadcaster.
“The best thing, especially in regional areas, is just grab yourself a two way radio, go to channel 40 and talk to us.”
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