So how does your state or territory compare against the rest for road safety? Read on to find our how each of the states fare, according to the September 2019 data from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport, and Regional Economics.

#8: Northern Territory

Not only does the Northern Territory take the title for the highest number of road fatalities in the country relative to its population, but this number far eclipses the rest of the nation. In fact, the number of road fatalities per 100,000 people in the N.T. sits at a whopping 15.07, more than double the second highest number. This tragic statistic has been linked to factors such as lower rates of wearing seat belts, higher alcohol consumption, poorer road infrastructure, and fatigue caused by long stretches of isolated road.

#7: Western Australia

W.A. comes second on this list, but it’s a big leap down. Here, there are 6.38 annual road fatalities per 100,000 people. Like the Northern Territory, our westernmost state is home to many long and lonely roads. Not only is it easy to stop paying attention in this environment, but if a crash does occur, medical attention takes far longer to arrive. As at November 7^th 2019, there were 79 regional road fatalities in W.A. compared to 62 in the more populated metropolitan areas.

#6: South Australia

While South Australia boasts fewer road fatalities than its northern and western counterparts, the statistic here of 6.12 fatalities per 100,000 is bad news – it represents a significant increase from the same time in 2018. This number is a leap up from the 4.84 fatalities that South Australia saw in the previous year, one of only two states that has seen an increase in 2019.

#5: Tasmania

In Tasmania, the 6 fatalities per 100,000 population is most likely to be caused by run-off-road type crashes, which account for 39% of motor crashes in the state. Crashes here, unlike in some larger states, are more likely to occur in urban areas or on roads with the highest volume of traffic, according to the Tasmanian Department of Infrastructure, Energy, and Resources.

#4: New South Wales

Our most populated state comes in fourth place, with a notable jump down to 4.4 road fatalities per 100,000 – a 7.7% decrease from last year. In New South Wales, excessive speed is by far the biggest culprit in fatal crashes, followed by fatigue and alcohol.

#3: Queensland

The sunshine state fares pretty well in road safety rankings, coming in third and seeing a decrease in the past year from 5.05 road fatalities to 4.20 per 100,000. In Queensland, cyclists and pedestrians represent the largest number of fatalities on the roads, followed by senior drivers and riders. Here, drink-driving is still one of the biggest influences behind road deaths.

#2: Victoria

While Victoria currently has the second lowest rate of fatal motor accidents in Australia, it is the second of two states to have seen an increase in road fatalities from September 2018 – September 2019. Last year Victorian roads had a rate of 3.5 road deaths for every 100,000 people, but this year has seen that number increase to 4.1, up 17%.

#1: Australian Capital Territory

Not only does the nation’s capital hold the number one spot for the safest road record this year, but the A.C.T. has also managed to decrease road fatalities by a whopping 45.3% – down to only 1.17 fatality per 100,000 from 2.15 in 2018. It seems that seat belt vigilance has a big role to play in the A.C.T., with Canberra residents boasting the highest usage of seat belts in the country.

Sources:

https://www.rsc.wa.gov.au/Statistics/Latest-Statistics

https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/rda/index 

https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/?a=108469

https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/dynamic/nsw-road-toll-monthly.pdf

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/5996437/canberra-records-lowest-road-deaths-in-three-decades/

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As a professional driver, you need to take responsibility for knowing the road rules that apply to your particular vehicle. New South Wales’ Roads and Maritime Services have prepared a list of precautions to follow when reversing. Use these tips to prevent yourself and your vehicle from having any accidents.

• Activate hazard warning lights before starting to reverse
• Avoid unnecessary reversing. Plan ahead to use the shortest possible reversing distance
• Use a helper to guide you whenever possible. You should be able to see the guide who should have a clear view of where your vehicle is going
• Get out and have a look if you are not sure what is behind you
• Always reverse your vehicle into position in a driveway or loading dock. Although you may need to hold up traffic while you reverse, it is much safer to drive forward into traffic as you leave.

Source: https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roads/safety-rules/road-rules/heavy-vehicles/

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Brokers should equip themselves to educate their clients about the needs of the industry and the changes that occur, says Glenn Lambert, managing director at GT Insurance. Staying up to date is crucial – best practice is continually evolving in line with technological shifts, and recent changes to Australian law have affected transport and logistic responsibilities.

“All transport companies are different, as are transport insurance suppliers,” Lambert says. “Insurance can come at a significant cost, and cheap is not always best.”

Lambert expresses similar sentiments, emphasising that brokers need to work with an organisation that can provide the relevant service to clients, not simply write a policy that’s effective on paper.

“Ensuring the right cover and structure is in place, a fast and efficient claims process, as well as a supplier who is capable of understanding the business’s needs should be the key considerations,” he says.

Reducing risk
The risk profile of businesses within the industry serves as an excellent example of the complex nature of the challenges that brokers must navigate. As with any other field of insurance, Lambert explains, a transport company’s risk profile determines the type of insurance program and premium price. That risk profile is dictated by a variety of factors, including the company’s track record, current safety initiatives and the nature of the transport work involved.

“Employee safety in the workplace is paramount – it gets more complicated when the workplace is the cab of a truck, bus, motor vehicle or plant and equipment,” Lambert says. “The ultimate goal is to get the driver back safely to the depot at the end of each shift.”

Certainly, technology has proven valuable in providing better data to help insurers assess risk profiles. Telematics are increasingly common; many vehicle manufacturers provide them as a standard option. In combination with emerging technologies such as Seeing Machines, there are also active initiatives to help reduce accidents.

Future insurance planning
Looking ahead, Lambert expects the transport insurance market to remain relatively stable over the next 12 months. He believes ridesharing in its many forms will continue to evolve, as will more efficient pricing models based on data-driven solutions, particularly in small fleets.

“The better-managed transport companies will see the benefits of their risk management efforts, where others will see significant increases if the loss ratio is loss-making over time,” Lambert says.

However, that doesn’t mean the whole process will be smooth sailing. “Companies that are continually working on managing or reducing their operating risks – and there are many of them – are reducing their insurance spend,” Lambert says. “The move to self- insurance in its various forms is increasing.

Accordingly, insurance providers must be able to deliver a complete set of services that includes management of all claims covered under client insurance policies.”

In a roundabout way, it will be business as usual in this inherently challenging field, where brokers must equip themselves to respond to a constantly shifting landscape.

“Transport is a tough, competitive segment of the insurance industry,” Lambert says. “I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

*This article was written and originally published by Insurance Business.
Original article source: https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/au/features/exclusive-features/taking-the-wheel-on-transport-insurance-191554.aspx

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Tipper trucks are used to transport a vast range of materials from one area to another, for example, soils, rocks, gravels, demolition materials, farming grains and plant wastes. They are used across Australia in a variety of industries from mining and agriculture to earthmoving, construction and excavation. In fact, tipper trucks are vital to the economy of our country, moving materials efficiently and delivering them to their destination quickly.

Why do tipper trucks tip over?

National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) recognises specific situations that may lead to tipping trucks tipping over:

• Unloading on an unstable or unlevel ground can increase the lateral tilt of these trucks, altering their centre of gravity and causing them to tip over during unloading
  • Some products (such as wet soil) can remain stuck at the top of the bin during unloading, causing the bin to become top-heavy and tip over.
• Driver distraction, inattention and poor weather are all factors that increase the risk of tipper trucks tipping over.
• Unbalanced load distributions, trailer lengths, coupling types, and whether it’s a side or rear tipper also influence the risk of tipping.

Reducing the risk of tipper trucks tipping over

The NRSPP has suggested that the education and training of drivers and subcontractors who operate tipper trucks is essential to reducing these risks. Operators need to recognise unsafe situations and feel empowered to use different tipping techniques, move to a more stable and level site or refusing to tip their load due to the environmental conditions.

It’s important that drivers are able to make an informed decision concerning the loading and unloading of their trucks, knowing that their company fully supports their decision. Safety should be the primary concern when unloading and loading tipper trucks and drivers need to have the confidence to make the correct decisions based on the safety factors involved. Through education, improved technology and driver awareness, these risks can be minimised even further.

Helping to keep transport operators safe on our road

GT Insurance have always been dedicated to keeping our Australian truck drivers on the road, providing a range of excellent insurance products for transport operators including our GT Accident Assist product which provides an effective response to accidents, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In particular, we support tipper truck drivers, because we know how hard these experienced drivers work to prevent accidents with their trucks.

To find out more about GT and our Accident Assist product, head to gtins.com.au

Source: https://www.nrspp.org.au/

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Tony has over 25 years’ experience across a number of key roles and for the last four years has been General Manager Sales and Distribution at GT Insurance.

Tony said he was looking forward to moving into the new role and continuing the momentum that GT Insurance has achieved in the market.

“GT Insurance moves from strength to strength, evolving to the second-largest insurer in the transport sector in Australia. This result comes from the commitment and energy of our people and I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to work with them in this capacity”, he said.

Allianz Australia’s Managing Director, Richard Feledy, said he had full confidence that Tony would be able to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.

“Tony is a strong leader who brings to the role a wealth of experience and industry knowledge. He also has a team of highly motivated individuals at GT Insurance, who work hard to deliver great results. With this solid combination, I feel confident Tony is well equipped to navigate the challenges that lie ahead and translate them into new opportunities for the business. I am looking forward to an exciting new chapter in the life of GT Insurance,” he said.

Tony assumed the role of Deputy CEO effective 1 September 2019, ensuring a smooth transition through to the conclusion of Glenn’s tenure in December this year.

Tony will become CEO in an official capacity from 1 January 2020.

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This means insurers and their representatives must provide customers with a year on year price comparison.

What does this mean for customers?
The change will provide greater consistency, transparency and simplicity for your customers in terms of the information set out in their renewals.

GT Insurance has implemented a change across our systems to include a price comparison table on all renewals and all renewal reminders of applicable insurance policies. We have developed a dedicated ESL page for the price comparison information which will be included in your customers’ renewals and renewal reminders.

For your customers, the changes will be effective for all motor policies with a renewal effective date of 15 July 2019 onwards.

Which policies are affected?
All commercial motor fleet and transport package policies sold to domestic and business customers are affected.

GT Insurance’s approach to the change 

Intermediary fee 
It is the responsibility of the broker to include the intermediary fee on their renewal notices. Commission will not be itemised in the comparison table as this forms part of the base premium.

What action is required? 
GT Insurance will issue the price comparison with your customers’ renewal documentation automatically as outlined above. As a broker, you are required under the NSW ESL Insurance Monitor’s revised price comparison order to provide this year on year price comparison to NSW small business and retail customers, on property and motor policy renewals.

Any intermediary fees (excluding commissions) must be included by brokers in customers’ renewal documentation.

Global Transport & Automotive Insurance Solutions Pty Ltd ABN 93 069 048 255 | AFS Licence No. 240714 (trading as GT Insurance) as agent for the insurer Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 | AFS Licence No. 234708

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It’s been estimated that the risk of having a motor vehicle accident is four times higher if you are using a mobile phone whilst driving and a whopping  twenty three times higher if you are texting.

It’s because of these statistics that in Australia it’s illegal to touch a handheld phone while driving, let alone text while driving. Drivers however, are still being caught by police every day breaking these rules. It’s such a problem that NSW has increased the demerit points from four to five for texting while driving, making these the toughest penalties in Australia. There is also a big push for increasing the fines of texting while driving in Queensland from $400 to $1000 and anyone offending a second time will lose their licence.

Using technology to break the texting and driving habit

Phone technology: With the introduction of Apple’s iOS 11, your phone can sense when you are driving, so it automatically silences notifications and keeps the screen dark while you are driving. The idea of this function is that you aren’t distracted by the screen lighting up when you receive a call, text message or email.

Apple’s DO NOT DISTURB function should turn on automatically when your iPhone connects with your car’s Bluetooth. If it doesn’t connect automatically, you might have to dig into your phone’s settings, select the driving option and set it to activate automatically when connected to Bluetooth. If your car doesn’t have Bluetooth, you can set this function manually in the settings, but the iPhone should sense that you are driving via its built-in accelerometer.  You may need to play around with it to get it to work for your situation.

For those of you with an Android phone, you can download the DRIVING DETECTIVE app, which offers the same functionality as the newer Apple iPhones.

Tips for breaking the habit

• If you have a meeting, phone ahead and let them know that you are on your way, so they won’t call when you are driving.
• If you are visiting family or friends, do the same and let them know that you won’t be checking your phone for the next 30 mins, 1 hour etc.
• If your car breaks down or another emergency situation happens while you are driving, pull over safely, turn the engine off, and only then pick up your phone and make the call.
• Turn your phone off while you are driving.
• Use the DO NOT DISTURB function on your iPhone or download the DRIVING DETECTIVE on your android.
• Mount your phone on the dash if you need to use it for navigation (or better yet, buy a GPS).
• Don’t be tempted to use your phone while driving for anything, not even to get live traffic updates, stream music through the car’s audio system, take photos or access map apps.

And above all, remember it’s illegal in all Australian states and territories to use a hand held mobile device whilst driving.

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ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

Since 1984, the Les Twentyman Foundation has provided crucial support for at-risk youth and their families across Victoria. With programs and services spanning education, counselling, sports and recreation, personal development, life experiences and employment pathways, the Foundation aims to reconnect young people with their families and local communities, enabling them to reach their full potential and make positive contributions to society.

The post GT Insurance comes out swinging for at-risk youth appeared first on GT Insurance.

Daniel Sammy, who has been with GT since 2011, has transitioned from Recoveries & Investigations Operations Manager to Relationship & Development Manager, in our Sydney Sales & Underwriting team.

With Danny’s evolvement, Scott Pender, an employee of 6 years, will take on Daniels previous role.

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CQIB represents over 60 brokerages throughout Queensland. Its membership excludes AR Models and International Brokerages.

Each year CQIB recognises the efforts of Insurers, Underwriting Agencies and their staff.

GT was recognised as the Best Underwriting Agency as voted by CQIB members.

Michael Varcoe was recognised as one of 5 finalists in the Mick Lambert-Barker Award. The Mick Lambert-Barker Award is awarded to an individual, from an Insurer, who provides outstanding service to the broker market. To be recognised by his customers is a tribute to Michael’s efforts.

Well done to the QLD team – You rightly should feel extremely proud of yourselves.

Image: Left to Right: Seb Windsor, Kristian O’Keefe, Tony Dodd, Bryan Harry & Alex Gestakovski

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