Road Safety Information

Going away on Leave?

Ensure you secure and protect your home and belongings while you are away. Ask a neighbour to collect the mail, cancel any deliveries and, if it is to be a long trip, turn off water and gas at the mains. Turn off and unplug all appliances at the wall socket including the television, stereos, computers and washing machine etc. It is not advisable to leave your home with an `unlived in' appearance. Depending on the time you are away, arrange to have the lawn mowed, and install an automatic switch on some lights. Leave a contact address and key with your neighbour in case of emergency.

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How's the vehicle?

Don't leave it until the last minute! No matter where you're travelling, your vehicle should be in a roadworthy condition. It is advisable to have your mode of transport thoroughly checked out by a qualified mechanic prior to setting out. Similarly, make sure that caravans and trailers are in good repair. If you haven't used them in some time, check the tyres, couplings, lights and general condition of all towables. Finally, make sure that the vehicle is capable of going where you want to go. The wet season 'up north' can present some unique situations so caution should be exercised.

Motorcycle riders need to be particularly cautious when it comes to the condition of their machine and the way they use it on the road. While the information contained in these pages speaks generally about trip planning, for more specific information on motorcycles and survival visit our links page.

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What are you taking?

Do not overload the vehicle, only take the essentials. Make sure that what is most likely to be needed during the journey is readily accessible and that more than one person knows where everything is. Loose items should be stored in boxes so that they do not rattle around or become a projectile in the event of heavy braking or sudden direction changes.

Heavy stuff on the roof rack is not desirable. Apart from having to physically manhandle it up there, the additional weight could throw the vehicle off balance in rough country. Heavy items should be stored in the main body of the vehicle. Leave the roof for lighter items and arrange them so that there is as little wind resistance as possible. For less wind resistance (and better fuel economy), make the load lower at the front and higher at the back.

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What are the essentials?

First Aid
A first aid kit is useful for any trip and essential when travelling in remote areas. St John Ambulance Australia provide a kit and commercially prepared kits are available from chemist and camping equipment shops. Alternatively you can make up your own basic kit packed into a clean waterproof container which should include:

Knowledge and skill in first aid techniques is advisable for outback travelers. St John Ambulance Australia in each state will give more information and advise on their first aid courses available.

Glove Box Items
The glove box is the ideal place to keep important papers including your motor vehicle registration papers, the number of your insurance policy, prescriptions for replacement glasses if worn, prescriptions for required medication, maps and of course tissues. A torch and compass belong in there too.

Water
Whenever possible, water should be carried in an appropriate quantity and be accessible. Even when traveling short distances it is very easy to become dehydrated. For longer trips, the carriage of water can be the difference between life and death especially when traveling off the beaten track or in hot conditions. 

Maps
Maps are essential. They provide basic information such as distances between townships going to and from major cities. However, higher quality maps more detailed information's are available at other websites, some of which we have included in our links page. Further, there are many good quality, detailed road maps available from the automobile association's shopfronts around Australia (some of them are free if you are a member).

If you're heading to the 'Outback', where featureless land can make it difficult to find direction, a topographical map is essential. When you choose a map, check that the scale is accurate and that sufficient detail is given. A compass is used in conjunction with the map to work out routes for getting from one place to another. An orienteering compass is reliable, easy-to-use, and inexpensive. Also, if 'Off the Beaten Track' is your plan, professional mechanical help might be scarce and it is advisable to carry additional spares. Once again, our links page can assist with websites that provide detailed information for such adventures.

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What should I wear?

Dress for comfort not style. Generally, people tend to take more clothes than they need when travelling. The 'comfort and convenience' rule for touring and camping includes clothes that are loose fitting, easy to wear and easy to launder. Track suits and T-shirts are the go and always include one piece of warm clothing. Pack clothes into soft baggage, which can be compressed into tight spaces in the vehicle. Don't forget to take a hat for everyone, walking shoes, sunblock, insect repellent, toiletries, sunglasses, camera and binoculars if you have them.

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Taking the Children?

Children soon get over the novelty of travel. To prevent backseat fights and tears, they will need to be entertained. Some suggestions on how to achieve this are to:

• include some of the child's favourite toys,
• play music on the radio or CD player,
• sing popular songs together,
• play family car games (there are books available on these), or
• stop for frequent breaks, preferably where there is a playground.

Food should be easily accessible and non-messy. Drinks are best in sealable plastic mugs with spouts for the young ones and sports-drink bottles for the older ones to prevent spillage. Avoid big meals and milkshakes where possible.

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Taking the pooch?

Pets can be great travelling companions. However, preparation is essential. As with children, no big meals prior to or during your trip. Ensure there is constant airflow inside the vehicle while driving and when you stop, never leave your pet in the car for long periods of time, especially during hot weather. Heatstroke can be fatal, and can occur in minutes even with the windows slightly open.

Restrain your pet, using a pet seat belt or secured carrier. Never let your pet ride unrestrained in the back of a truck. Don't allow your pet to stick its head out the window. Take breaks at least every two hours to allow your pet to exercise and relieve itself.

If your pet is prone to carsickness, your vet will be able to provide tablets that can assist. However, if your pet is sick during the trip, stop the vehicle, take them outside and free them from any cages and allow them to settle. Offer some water before heading off again.

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Rules of the Road?

Roads system
Australia is a vast country that stretches over three time zones (four with daylight saving) from the Indian Ocean in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east.

The 18,600km National Highway System links capital cities with State Highways providing access to economic and population centers within the States and Territories. Extensive main roads and local streets move people and goods in and between metropolitan and regional areas.

Seat belts and child restraints
In all States and Territories, it is compulsory to wear seat belts if these are fitted to the vehicle. Only seat belts that meet the appropriate Australian Design Rule or Australian Standards are allowed to be fitted. If the vehicle is to be permanently imported to Australia, it is probable that the existing seat belts will have to be changed. It is illegal to remove seat belts from a vehicle in which they are required to be installed by State and Territory legislation. An approved child restraint or adult seat belt must properly restrain children if fitted to the vehicle. In the absence of an approved restraint or seat belt, they must travel in the back seat of the car.

Keeping left
In Australia, we drive on the left side of the road and you must keep left of the centre of the road unless overtaking or turning right. On freeways, drivers generally should stay out of the right (fast) lane unless overtaking.

Speed limits
The speed limit is the maximum legal speed and drivers must not exceed it. Drivers should slow down if traffic, lighting or weather conditions make it necessary. When no speed limit signs are present a default speed limit applies. In built-up areas the default speed limit is currently 50km/h in most states. On the open road, the default speed limit is usually 100km/h. Where speed limit signs are present, the number shown is the speed limit in km/h.

Near schools, pedestrian crossings, rail crossings and intersections, or passing stationary tramcars or safety zones, particular care is always required. Special speed limits are prescribed in some States and Territories for some of these situations, such as near schools. Vehicles towing caravans or trailers may face further restrictions on speed limits and motorists should check with the State or Territory road authority where necessary.

Overtaking
When overtaking vehicles travelling in the same direction, a driver must do so on the right- hand side, except when the other driver has signalled an intention to turn right. Tramcars, which operate in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, must be overtaken on the left, however. There are other special requirements relating to the overtaking of trams, and motorists should familiarise themselves with these. Crossing the centre line of the road on a blind crest or a curve is strictly prohibited. Overtaking may also be restricted by road markings, as follows: May be crossed from broken line side only. Double lines crossing prohibited from either side.

Accident reporting
In the event of an accident, the driver must stop and render assistance. Name and address of the driver and owner of the vehicle should be supplied to other parties involved. Reporting procedures vary, but if there is any personal injury, possibility of injury or significant damage arising from the accident, it must be reported immediately to the Police. It is wise to check with the local Police at the time of an accident in relation to reporting procedures and report any accident to your insurer. In all cases, stop at the signal or request of any Police Officer. (Source: www.racq.com.au)

Pedestrians and Cyclists
Pedestrians and cyclists are the most vulnerable objects on the road – treat them with as much caution as you would a large truck. Lower your high beam if you see a cyclist/pedestrian, whatever direction they are travelling.

Road Rage
Its better to be alive than right - take a deep breath and move on.

How to Avoid Fatigue

• The actual extent to which fatigue contributes to the traffic crash picture is probably much higher than statistics indicate - because long before a driver actually becomes drowsy, fatigue seriously impairs driving ability.
• It is important that trips should be planned to avoid long hours of driving extending into the hours of darkness, particularly after a normal working day.

(Source: Army Safety News Dec 98)

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What's the weather like?

Rain
Holidays sometimes mean driving on unfamiliar roads in difficult circumstances. Wet weather increases the chance of being involved in a crash. You should modify your driving style during wet weather, allowing for increased stopping distances and reduced visibility. Above all, slow down.

Under wet weather conditions, the normal two-second gap used under ideal dry conditions between your vehicle and the one you are following should be at least doubled. If a caravan or trailer is being towed, a larger gap is recommended. Sudden braking or turning should be avoided.

Other wet weather hazards include splash from oncoming traffic, roadside line markings obscured by surface water and loss of traction due to oil and grime build up. These hazards are multiplied when driving at night.

Water over the road should be approached with great caution. We recommend that a crossing should not be attempted if water is flowing across the road at a greater depth than the height of the tyre side wall.

If it is essential that the journey continues and there is no alternative route, you should first check the depth of the water at the deepest part by first walking across, if necessary.

Be aware that crocodiles may inhabit creeks and rivers in the coastal regions of Northern Australia (WA, NT, Qld).

Don't forget:

• in flood water it is often difficult to see debris;
• flood water levels change very quickly;
• water ingested in the car can destroy or severely damage the engine or transmission. This can cause the car to stop mid crossing.

A vehicle's brakes can be severely affected if the vehicle is driven through water. We suggest that if your brakes show signs of fade after becoming wet, lightly rest your left foot on the brake pedal while driving. The heat generated will assist in drying brake pads and help restore full operation.

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Fire

Bushfires are a common occurrence in Australia during summer. During dry, hot conditions even a grass fire in flat country can burn at the rate of 80 hectares each half hour, with flames reaching five metres in height and advancing at 5km/h. Motorists are sometimes caught in fires, and their first reaction is to panic and run away from their vehicles. This action takes them away from their only refuge - their vehicle. They run because of a widespread belief that the car's petrol tank will explode if exposed to flames. This is not necessarily true. A vehicle's petrol tank if enclosed, will begin to burn only if exposed to flames for at least 30 minutes. A bush fire will normally pass over a car in three or four minutes.

If surrounded or cut off by the fire, park the vehicle in the barest area possible, free from tall grass or shrubs. If possible, position the rear of the vehicle in the direction of the oncoming fire as this will reduce the surface area absorbing radiant heat. Close all windows and vents tightly and shelter on the floor below the window level. Cover yourself with blankets or floor mats to protect yourself from heat radiation. There will be plenty of oxygen in the car to last through the ordeal. Do not emerge from your vehicle until you are sure you are upwind of the blaze. Do not begin to move out of the area until the smoke has cleared.

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Driving at night

No one can see as well at night as during the daytime. Your ability to see is limited to the distance illuminated by your vehicle's headlights. At night you do not have the advantage of colour and contrast that you have during daytime driving.

How well you can drive at night depends on your ability to see under conditions of low light, your ability to see against glare (from headlights, street signs etc.) and the time you need to recover from exposure to bright light.

Have your eyes tested if you have any questions about your ability to see when you drive after dark. People with cataracts in particular will find their ability to drive at night severely affected. To minimise problems of night driving, adjust your speed to the range of your headlights. For example, when a stationary object becomes visible on the road in front of you, you should be able to stop the vehicle before you collide with it.

Properly aligned, clean headlights on high beam will light up the roadway 120 to 180 metres ahead. Low beams will light up a much shorter distance. Compensate for reduced visibility by increasing your following distance to four or more seconds.

Do not focus on the middle of the light area. Search the darkened roadway ahead and edges of the area. Watch for sudden flashes of light at hilltops, around curves or at intersections. Concentrate on street level activities in or around your intended path when signs or brightly lit buildings distract you.

In dim light, focus on the edges or outlines of objects. Your eyes can pick up images more sharply this way than looking directly at the object. Prolonged exposure to glare from sunlight during the day and headlights at night can temporarily ruin your vision. It can also lead to eyestrain and drowsiness. Wear good sunglasses on bright days and take them off as soon as the sun goes down. Look at the center of your pathway and use the painted edge lines to guide your vehicle. After steady daytime driving, rest before you drive at night.

A dirty pitted or fogged windscreen reduces your already limited night vision and increases the glare from other headlights. Normal accumulation of dirt on your headlights can cut light in half. It is important that you clean the inside of your windshield at least once a week to remove the residue from gases given off by synthetic fibres inside the vehicle, more often if you smoke.

Use high beam except:

• when the distance between you and an approaching vehicle is less than 200 metres; or
• when the distance between you and the car in front is less than 200 metres; or ·
• you are on road in a built up area.

Parking lights are not for driving. Drive with your dipped headlights on during the day. Other drivers can see you at a distance of about one and a half kilometres with your lights on versus 750 metres without your lights. When you prepare to slow or stop, tap the brake pedal to flash the taillights.

Your alertness level automatically decreases around your regular bedtime. If you must drive two to three hours beyond your normal bedtime, stop each hour and walk around or wash your face with cold water. Nearly everyone experiences a short physiological down time or feeling of tiredness sometime between 1pm and 5pm.

Dangers at Dusk and Dawn
At dusk and dawn, visibility is especially a problem - there isn't enough natural light and it isn't dark enough to provide headlights, with the contrast they need for full effectiveness.

Headlights won't help you see better; however, they will alert others to your presence.

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Fog

When driving in fog, reduce your speed and turn on your low beam headlights. Low beams direct light down onto the road rather than up into the fog. Parking lights do little to help other road users see you. During daytime fog, you frequently can see oncoming cars before you can determine whether or not the vehicles have their parking lights on.

Next, continue moving at a very low speed. Avoid sudden stops. If you must stop, steer off onto the shoulder if possible. Always use your windscreen wipers in fog conditions and remember that the problems of driving in fog become greater at night.

Driving in heavy fog is like driving with a blindfold on. No matter how important the trip is, it is not worth gambling your life. By far the safest thing to do if you run into fog is to move well off the road and wait for the fog to lift. (Source: www.racq.com.au)

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What about the wildlife?

Australia has a unique, numerous and often physically large wildlife population. It is important to remember that these creatures, especially young animals, are not necessarily road wise and can become a serious hazard if caution is not exercised.
Animals are more active during the summer months and this activity increases the likelihood that they will have to cross the roads. To help avoid injury to yourself, your passengers, the car and the wildlife:

• Scan the road as you drive watching the edges for any wildlife movement. This assist you to avoid a collision and will increase the time you'll have to brake.
• Dawn and dusk are particularly dangerous, especially for kangaroos. These times and a few hours after dark are when many species of wildlife are most active
• Dip your high beam lights when you see an animal. Often the headlights have a hypnotic effect or can temporarily blind the animal and cause a sudden reaction as you get close.
• Ask the attendant at the previous service station about the local road hazards ahead including where wildlife or domestic animals are likely to be or have been seen recently and reduce your speed accordingly, especially after dark.
• Don't throw food scraps (or any other kind of litter) out of the car window. Every apple core and bread crust attracts wildlife to the side of the road. The results from this can be fatal.
• Remember, if there is one animal crossing there may be more. Once again, reduce your speed.
• Do not put your own safety at risk. Nobody likes to kill or injure wildlife but, unfortunately, many animals are unavoidably killed each year on our roads. If an animal 'jumps out at you', do not swerve off the road to try and avoid a collision. This could result in loss of vehicle control. Maintain full control, don't swerve violently but endeavour to pass behind the animal.

Couplings must be of adequate strength, be capable of disconnection at any angle, and must not permit lateral sway. Each coupling must be stamped with the maximum gross weight the coupling is designed to tow.

Except for caravans over two tonnes fitted with a breakaway system, safety chains must be fixed to a substantial part of the caravan chassis (near the tow hitch) and strongly connected to the towing vehicle, to prevent runaway in event of a coupling failure.

Never allow passengers to travel in the caravan or trailer. Plan your departure carefully. Do not leave during peak traffic periods or when the roads are congested.

Allow for frequent stops during the journey and constantly check tyres, couplings and other equipment. If possible, plan your arrival at your destination during daylight hours, so similar checks may be undertaken at the end of the day's travel.

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Common emergencies and what to do

Thankfully, emergencies occur relatively rarely, and this is partly why the circumstances that result can be so dangerous. The likelihood of failure can be more significant at Christmas time when we cover greater distances, have the whole family in the vehicle and are travelling at 'highway speeds'. The information provided cannot cover every possible emergency, nor can it discuss every circumstance in which they can occur. The aim has been to provide a general appreciation of the type of action appropriate to the emergencies that are most likely to occur and to get us all thinking about possible emergencies.

Emergency 1 - No Brakes!
You step on the brake and the pedal sinks uselessly to the floor. Apply the handbrake progressively, but do not engage the ratchet. Steer to avoid the most severe collision, if one cannot be avoided. If possible, change to a lower gear, flash headlights or use the horn to alert others to your difficulty.

Emergency 2 - Blown Tyre!
If a front tyre bursts there will be a strong pull towards the side with the blow out. If it is a rear tyre, the rear end of the car will tend to weave. In this situation, there are two key factors to handling this emergency: keep a firm grip on the steering wheel and do not oversteer to correct and swerve; brake gently and smoothly, coming to a stop off the road if possible, (with the latter, harsh breaking will only make the car harder to control).

Emergency 3 - A Shattering Windscreen!
Reduce speed and use other means of looking ahead such as the side window. Come to a halt, but take care not to do so too abruptly in the path of following traffic. After stopping, remove the entire windscreen with a gloved fist, cloth or similar.

Emergency 4 - Animals at Night
Household pets and other animals, particularly kangaroos on country roads, seem to be hypnotised by the steady glare of headlights. If an animal appears on the road in front of you, brake smoothly, sound your horn and flash your headlights. Maintain full control, don't swerve violently but endeavour to pass behind the animal. In the scheme of things, it may be better to strike the animal than swerve wildly. The key to avoiding such an emergency is similar for all incidents at night - reduce speed and drive within the range of your headlights.

Emergency 5 - Dazzled by Headlights
If an oncoming driver has failed to turn off their high beam, slow down and concentrate on the left edge of the road. Signal the other driver by flicking your lights, but if theirs don't change, keep your own light on low beam, and if completely dazzled, stop on the left side of the road.

(Source: Army Safety News Dec 98)

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Tips for long distance travelling

(Source: Army Safety News Dec 98)

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Motorcycle Safety

Whilst much of the above safety information can also be applied to Motorcycle riders we are still constructing our information pack which deals specifically with motorcycle safety. In the interim we would highly recommend VicRoads Motorcycle safety web page and their protective wear page.

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