The Australian government could (and should) save 148 lives in the coming years by mandating stability control for most new trucks and trailers, Australian Trucking Association chairman Geoff Crouch says.

Crouch believes that an Aussie government department's recommendation that stability control is made compulsory for some new trucks doesn't go far enough.

The Infrastructure Department's regulatory impact statement (RIS) on mandating stability control for heavy vehicles proposes that it be required for new prime movers weighing more than 12 tonnes and new trailers weighing more than 10t. The technology would not need to be fitted to new rigids.

Says Crouch: "The Government should lean in on safety and mandate stability control for all new trucks and trailers, including rigid trucks – with only narrow exceptions.

"The ATA approach would save 148 lives and stop 1496 serious injuries. It would save 24 more lives and stop 412 more serious injuries than the narrow approach recommended in the RIS.

"Our approach would cost businesses an additional $117million in total, but this would be spread over many years and over every industry that buys new trucks.

"In reality, the additional cost would be very small compared to the safety benefits. It's a cost we are willing to pay.

"The benefits from the ATA's approach would be more than twice the costs. That's more than the benefit-to-cost ratio of requiring electronic stability control for new passenger cars."

New road train converter dollies would be exempt from the stability control requirement because of issues with the technology in rough Outback conditions encountered by roadtrains in rural and remote areas. Non-standard low loaders would also be exempt.