Truck driving is Australia’s “deadliest profession”, with the industry currently experiencing a safety crisis, the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) has told a Senate inquiry into road safety.

And the National Independent Trucking Association has gone further in its submission, saying the level of truck-related deaths amounts to “collateral genocide” and is “mainly just for the profit of big business”.

But leading heavy motor insurer National Transport Insurance (NTI) challenges this picture, saying the industry’s safety performance is improving.

The TWU and the independent trucking association paint a picture of poor maintenance and overworked, tired drivers whose lives are routinely put at risk.

The association says 200 drivers were killed in truck accidents last year, and the union quotes a figure of 330 truck crash deaths a year.

But NTI Industry Affairs Manager Owen Driscoll told insuranceNEWS.com.au the criticisms are being made by groups who “want to trash their operators and give an industry that has come on in leaps and bounds a bad reputation”.

“The industry just gets better and better from a safety aspect,” he said.

“Behaviour is good. From a maintenance perspective we’re better than we ever have been, and technology is helping too. We have no tolerance for any accidents and we want to see constant improvement, but these comments don’t take account of the massive progress that has been made.”

Mr Driscoll says insurance can play a crucial role by encouraging strong risk management strategies.

NTI’s latest Major Accident Investigation Report identified 549 serious crashes with losses exceeding $50,000 in 2013, costing $71.7 million.

But its overall message is positive, with major crash rates down 35% since 2002.

Mr Driscoll says some fatality figures put to the Senate inquiry should be treated with caution.

Latest official figures from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics show 220 people were killed in crashes involving heavy vehicles (including buses) last year, down more than 20% on a decade ago.

Vehicle occupants, including drivers and passengers, accounted for 74.2% of the deaths, with the remainder pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

Of the occupant deaths, most (73.8%) were those travelling in light vehicles.

The Senate inquiry is due to report on September 9.