The number of major truck crashes involving inattentive or distracted drivers on Australian roads has fallen by 32 per cent in the past 12 months, according to the 2026 National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC) Major Incident Investigation Report.
Released earlier this week, the new report found several positive safety trends including “notable reductions” in driver fatigue (56.9 per cent) and in failure to give way (60.8 per cent).
“In a positive development, the inattention/distraction incident rate is declining – from 25.4 incidents per 10,000 heavy vehicles in 2023 to 17 in 2025, a 33.1 per cent decrease,” the report found.
“While the overall rate remains a concern, this downward trend may indicate early signs of progress in addressing this key risk area.”
The report, developed in partnership by Australia’s leading specialist transport and insurance provider, NTI, with the National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP), and the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), also found:
>> Major loss claims exceeding $50,000 fell 22.3 per cent in 2025.
>> Human factor-related incidents fell 17.6 per cent in 2025, to 67.6 incidents per 10,000 heavy vehicles.
>> Inattention/distraction remained the leading human factor, accounting for 13.8 per cent of all major incidents in 2025. While these incidents have generally trended upward in recent years, these crashes fell 32 per cent to 17 incidents per 10,000 heavy vehicles.
>> Nearly two-thirds (63.5 per cent) of inattention/distraction crashes involved a single vehicle.
>> Geographically, inattention/distraction crashes were slightly under-represented in major cities (36.8 per cent) relative to their overall crash share (40 per cent) and slightly over-represented in inner regional areas (27.3 per cent).
>> Articulated combinations had the highest inattention/distraction crash rate at 24.2 per 10,000 vehicles, with crashes most common in outer regional areas and major cities. This reflects their greater exposure to long-haul driving conditions, and in major cities, possibly due to the prevalence of environmental distractions, the high density of vulnerable road users and frequent stopping.
>> Fatigue-related incidents fell 56.9 per cent, from 5.8 to 2.5 per 10,000 vehicles, while failure-to-give-way incidents fell 60.8 per cent and inappropriate vehicle positioning fell 8.9 per cent.
NTI’s Transport Research Manager Adam Gibson says that understanding the causes of serious heavy vehicle incidents allows organisations to focus safety efforts where “they will have the greatest impact”.
“The NTARC report is a powerful resource to inform strategies to address safety challenges facing Australia’s heavy vehicle sector,” he adds.
“The decline in some key human factor risks shows the value of continued focus on these issues, while it remains critical that road safety interventions and initiatives continue to target these hazards, particularly inattention/distraction, given their continued prevalence and potential for severe consequences.”
NTI’s Chief Executive Officer Janelle Greene notes the NTARC report helps take the “guesswork” out of improving driver well-being and road safety.
“This vital research provides the transport sector and decision makers with the practical insights needed to help save lives,” she says.
“The 2026 findings show that progress is being made in some areas of human factor risk, while also highlighting where further work is needed.
“The sustained focus on human factors in major crash events such as inattentive or distracted drivers demonstrates the importance of the work being done across the industry, from driver training and safety education to systemic and behavioural interventions.
“The decrease in heavy vehicle incidents involving inattentive or distracted drivers provides a positive indication that these efforts are making a difference.”
The full 2026 report can be viewed here.