Introduction
Driver fatigue is a significant contributor to road crashes and presents a safety risk to all road users. To help drivers manage fatigue, 673 Highway rest area are conveniently located along the road corridors of NSW (including service centres managed by different road managers).
In addition to complying with regulations relating to driving hours and mandatory rest breaks, truck drivers need rest stops to manage fatigue and personal welfare. These facilities enable truck drivers to rest and access essential services such as toilets, showers and food. These sites are often the only opportunity for truck drivers to stop and rest due to access restrictions on heavy vehicles entering the NSW road network.
To support road users with planning their journeys, apps and websites access information on Rest Areas sourced from the Transport Open Data Hub to inform road users on where rest areas are located and what facilities are available.
How we are making data accessible
The Rest Areas Dataset and Map is made publicly available on the Transport Open Data Hub. The rest areas dataset is also shared with the National Freight Data Hub, which provides data and an Application Programming Interface (API) of rest areas across all states and territories.
The Rest Areas Map is a public, mobile-friendly web application built using this dataset that displays sites managed by Transport for NSW as well as other authorities, including Councils and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. It allows Customers to filter rest areas by features such as light vehicle or heavy vehicle access, and facilities like toilets and BBQ areas.
In 2024, rest areas were included on the Live Traffic website and apps. By accessing Live Traffic, road users are able to access timely, accurate, and specific information to support their journey planning and safety.
Updates on the status and facilities of a new or upgraded rest area come from road managers, teams building and upgrading our road networks, and our road safety teams. Creating and maintaining business processes to ensure everyone’s information is accurate and up-to-date, and provided in a single, coordinated dataset that allows sharing to customers in multiple ways.
The Rest Areas dataset and related maps link to the Future Transport Strategy and the NSW Road Safety Action Plan 2026 by giving customers access to information that will allow them to make informed travel choices that better meet their needs.
Benefits for our customers
Heavy vehicle drivers often undertake long hours of travel. The truck, the road, and accessible rest areas are their workplace. From 2013 to 2022, there were 36 fatigued heavy truck drivers involved in fatal crashes and 223 fatigued heavy truck drivers involved in serious injury crashes.
Access to Rest Areas as well as information on their location and available facilities are essential in supporting road users with planning their trips and rest breaks to avoid driver fatigue.
Resources:
Rest Areas dataset: https://opendata.transport.nsw.gov.au/dataset/nsw-rest-areas
Rest Areas map: https://maps.transport.nsw.gov.au/egeomaps/rest-areas/index.html