Plea to take care on the roads
Volume 11, No. 55, November 02, 2006

ADF personnel have been urged not to risk their lives when they take to the roads over the Christmas period to visit family and friends.

Maj Mike Tyquin, of OH&S-A, said some people put themselves under pressure to get to places in a hurry.

“This immediately puts them at risk of fatigue and having a crash,” he said. “Christmas is a time to see your family and enjoy the season. Spending time at funerals or in intensive care is no one’s idea of a fun holiday.”

Safety Information Manag-ement Unit Deputy Director Gary Skewes said research had identified that a person who had gone without sleep for 17 hours had the same chance of having an accident as someone with a blood alcohol level of 0.05.

“Researchers have also noted that many fatigue-related accidents tend to occur in two distinct periods – between midnight and 6am, and between 2pm and 4 pm,” Mr Skewes said.

These periods correlated to our normal circadian rhythm where the body was at its lowest level of alertness and body temperature.

“Taking a break in the early to mid-afternoon period significantly lowers the chance of a fatigue-related accident,” Mr Skewes said.

He said some drivers started early on a Friday afternoon and drove through the night to maximise their time at their destination. They might also drive on for those extra few hours to save on accommodation costs.

“While this may save some money, this significantly increases the chance of a fatigue-related accident and should be avoided where possible,” he said.

Mr Skewes said the Defence Highway Rest Stop Program allowed Defence drivers on holidays to make use of transit accommodation at a number of bases around Australia.

“All participating bases provide accommodation and use of on-base facilities,” he said. “A number even provide basic accommodation for families.”

Bookings must be made.

For details of the program, visit http://ohsc.defence.gov.au/Programs/RoadSafety/ or http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/ohsc/Programs/RoadSafety/.

SAFE DRIVING TRIPS

• Plan long trips ahead and include rest stops and a co-driver where possible.
• Belt up and don’t forget the littlies.
• Make sure that your vehicle/bike/trailer/caravan is mechanically sound.
• Be aware that a number of medications can make you drowsy.
• Avoid driving at night where possible.
• If you are tired, pull over and have a roadside nap. It could save your life.
• Don’t drink and drive.