Supermarket giant Coles and its supply chain partners have joined forces to show divers how to more safely share the roads with trucks.
They are working with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) in a campaign dubbed We Need Space.
Coles trailers carried by Linfox and Toll will become giant travelling billboards in NSW, Queensland and Victoria, urging road users to stay out of truck blind spots, learn how to overtake trucks safely and avoid overtaking turning trucks.
The NHVR has produced a series of community service announcements fronted by Supercars champion Garth Tander and will be rolling out educational resources through driver education programs and its state and territory transport authority partners.
Coles chief legal and safety officer David Brewster said Coles was committed to improving safety through the transport supply chain.
"Our transport operators travel about 100 million kilometres each year, delivering goods via our distribution centres to more than 800 supermarkets across the country," he said.
"Last year our robust supply chain was put under pressure like never before as Coles stepped up to become an essential service and continue to help feed Australians through the pandemic.
"We want to educate and work with road users to avoid potential incidents so that the drivers carrying loads for Coles and the communities through which they travel can all stay safe."
Federal Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said that in many instances of multi-vehicle crashes, it was not the heavy vehicle driver at fault.
"Heavy vehicle drivers are proud of their safe driving, it is what they do each and every day - a proud profession - but we know some motorists might feel a little intimidated by sharing the road with them," he said.
"It is important all road users recognise that trucks can be difficult to manoeuvre, have large blind spots and regularly have to navigate unpredictable traffic."
NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto welcomed the partnership with Coles and said We Need Space was a great example of the regulator, business and government working together in the interest of road safety.