Heavy truck major loss claim numbers fell 22.3% last year, with more than half linked to driver inattention and other human-related causes, according to an NTI-backed report.

Almost half – the largest share – of the 1374 claims recorded by the transport underwriter fell within the $50,000-$100,000 range.

The smallest share fell in the highest cost band, with losses exceeding $1 million.

“Many of the highest-cost incidents were due to natural peril events causing multi-vehicle damage, or infrastructure damage from crashes or vehicle fires,” the report says, adding natural peril incidents “more than doubled in 2025”.

The National Truck Accident Research Centre’s annual Major Incident Investigation Report is based on NTI’s heavy vehicle major losses – claims exceeding $50,000 – and contributions from partners Monash University and the National Road Safety Partnership Program.

The report says “targeted hazard management programs and safety initiatives” will remain a focus for the centre, despite a 17.6% decline in the number of incidents caused by human-related factors.

Last year, the rate of human-caused incidents was 67.6 per 10,000 heavy vehicles, compared with 69.9 in 2024.

Among human-related causes, inattention and distraction has consistently had the highest incident rate. However, it fell 32% last year to 17 incidents per 10,000, down from 25 in 2024.

The report says there were also notable reductions in fatigue incidents (down 56.9%); failure to give way (down 60.8%); and inappropriate vehicle positioning (down 8.9%).

But incidents linked to inappropriate speed increased 28.9%, and crashes involving inadequate following distance increased 11.7%.

“While some key human factor risks appear to be declining, it remains critical that road safety interventions and initiatives continue to target these hazards, particularly inattention/distraction, given their continued prevalence and potential for severe consequences,” the report says.

“Inattention/distraction remains the most significant human factor contributor to crash rates, accounting for 13.8% of all major incidents in 2025.

“These crashes are predominantly single-vehicle events, with close to two-thirds (63.5%) involving only the insured heavy vehicle.”

NTI CEO Janelle Greene says the report helps take the guesswork out of improving driver safety.

“The 2026 findings show that progress is being made in some areas of human factor risk, while also highlighting where further work is needed,” she said.

Access the report here.