The National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC) has released a new suite of steep descent safety resources to support heavy vehicle drivers operating on challenging routes in eastern Australia.
Released to coincide with National Road Safety Week, the new resources focus on three well-known descents: Cunninghams Gap in Queensland, Glenbrook in New South Wales, and Victoria Pass in New South Wales. Each resource combines a high-definition video with a quick-reference “Hill on a Page” guide designed to help drivers understand the route before they are already committed to the descent.
The resources have been developed by NTARC, a partnership between the National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP), NTI and the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC).
The aim is to give drivers practical, route-specific information from operators who know the roads well. Rather than relying on generic safety messaging, the videos feature local fleets sharing operational knowledge based on regular experience with the descent.
Jerome Carslake, Director of the National Road Safety Partnership Program, said there was a gap in how drivers currently prepare for difficult descents.
“There is currently no formal way for a driver to familiarise themselves with a descent before they are in the cab and on the grade,” Carslake said. “By using local fleets, we ensure the message is delivered by passionate people who actually drive trucks on these descents daily, not people who drive desks.”
The release also carries an unusual historical note. One of the featured routes, Victoria Pass on the western side of the Blue Mountains, has since been closed indefinitely due to road subsidence. Despite the closure, the project team decided to release the material because of its ongoing safety and historical value.
Adam Gibson, Transport Research Manager at NTI, said the Victoria Pass resource still had a role to play.
“The video features a great partner in JLP Transport and provides critical technical content,” Gibson said. “We decided to release it regardless. If the road re-opens, it can be a vital safety tool; if it doesn’t, it remains a permanent record of a nearly 200-year-old piece of Australian transport history.”
Steep descents remain a critical risk area for heavy vehicle operators, particularly where gradients, vehicle mass, braking performance, weather and traffic conditions can combine quickly. For drivers unfamiliar with a route, the lack of pre-trip route knowledge can increase the pressure once they are already on the grade.
The NTARC resources are intended to give operators, schedulers and drivers another tool for journey planning, induction and toolbox discussions. The “Hill on a Page” format provides a condensed guide that can be used as a quick reference, while the videos provide more detailed context from experienced local operators.
For fleet managers, the resources may also support broader safety management systems by helping demonstrate that known route risks have been identified and communicated. This is particularly relevant for operators sending drivers through difficult terrain or assigning routes to drivers who may not regularly travel those corridors.
The resources are available free of charge through the NRSPP website.
