AfMA Fleetdrive Issue 20 | Page 8

Fuel The battle at the pump this decade has seen the continued rise and fall of petrol in various cycles that are ultimately trending upward. A report from the ACCC into retail petrol prices found the average pump price for the 2008-09 financial year was $1.27 per litre, while by 2018-19 that had risen to $1.42 per litre. The challenge for fleets this decade has been less about finding where to find cheaper fuel and more about route optimisation and reducing unnecessary trips. Improvements in ICE vehicles across the sector has also seen improved fuel consumption, which for larger fleets can certainly result in significant financial savings over time. Fast Fact: Australia consumes approximately 61 billion litres of refined petroleum every year. Road Safety & Technology AfMA Improved vehicle designs and continued public awareness campaigns are slowly seeing the national and global road tolls decrease year by year. There has been a definite turning point in that as a society we no longer accept that it’s inevitable that people die or be seriously injured just because we have a road transport system. Thus the introduction of cutting edge technology such as autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, following distance warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, self-parking, adaptive headlights, fatigue warning, and traffic-jam assist are all helping to keep drivers safe. Fast Fact: In 2009 Australia’s national road toll was 1,491 while in 2018 it dropped to 1,137. The Australasian Fleet Management Association continues as a member based, not-for-profit peak industry body throughout Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. AfMA is currently gearing up to celebrate our 25th year of operations in 2020. Across this decade AfMA has sort to embrace the entire spectrum of the fleet industry through the publishing of member resources, industry news and the running of key events such as the annual Australasian Fleet Conference & Awards, and regular Professional Development Forums. Thanks to our ongoing members, supporters, board members, and office staff for your continued work and support of the association. Fast Fact: 417 people attended or engaged with the 2019 Australasian Fleet Conference & Awards Dinner in 2019, up from 277 in 2009. 8 ISSUE 20 2019 / WWW.AFMA.ORG.AU