AS we gear up for a long weekend, motorists are being reminded to take care when sharing the road with trucks, with statistics showing car drivers are at fault in more than three-quarters of fatal crashes involving a heavy vehicle.

The National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC)’s most recent figures show in 77 per cent of serious crashes involving a car and truck, the car driver is at fault.

Trucking specialists are calling on all motorists to adequately prepare for their trip this King’s Birthday long weekend and drive to conditions.

NTI (specialist insurance provider) Chief Customer Officer, Janelle Greene said during holiday times, there’s a high volume of traffic on the road, with drivers who may be unaccustomed to long-distance travel or extended periods behind the wheel.

“Anticipate that your journey will take longer than usual, plan your trip ahead of time, including breaks, be patient, and be vigilant when driving at night, dawn or dusk, when wildlife and poor light may impact driving conditions,” she said.

“Australia has a highly experienced pool of professional drivers working hard across highways and country roads, to inner-city precincts.

“Please be mindful they need additional room to brake, and that trucks have larger blind spots than cars.

“It’s simply not worth doing any risky manoeuvres, like cutting in front of a heavy vehicle.

“As we take advantage of the long weekend, it’s important that we all prioritise driving safely on our roads and sharing them well, so that everyone arrives at their destinations safely.”