Open load space project

This paper outlines the Office of Road Safety in Western Australia?s project to reduce deaths and injuries in which people were riding in the open load space of utilities and trucks.  The Office of Road Safety has gradually implemented a ban on open load travel over a five year period.

On 1 January 2001 it became illegal to ride in the open load space of vehicles without rollover cages in Western Australia.  On 1 January 2004 the Department of Planning and Infrastructure ceased to authorise the fitting of rollover cages, and from 1 January 2006 there will be a blanket prohibition on travel in open load spaces.

This paper examines the following aspects of this legislative ban on open load space travel:

• An evaluation of the impact of the partial ban on open load space travel;
• An overview of the campaign developed to promote awareness of the ban on open load space travel;
• A description of the particular importance of open load space travel for Aboriginal groups in Western Australia;
• A demonstration of the culturally-appropriate advertising campaign which has been developed for Aboriginal audiences.