Updated Responsibilities v2

The Driver’s Handbook 1

What’s new• Pages42and43Childrestraintandseatbeltsupdate• Page46Speedpastanemergencyvehicle• Page119Newprovisionallicencelaws• Pages120to123Whathappensifyouaredisqualified onyourLearner’sPermitorProvisionalLicence

W E L C O M E

WelcometotheDriver’s Handbookwhichisdesignedtosupportallroadusersandcontainsessentialinformationandusefultips.

Before you drive…• Think about safety.Knowtherisksandbeprepared.Your Road

Safety Responsibilitiesremindsyouaboutthemajorrisksontheroadandhowtoavoidthem.

• Knowtheroadrules.RoadrulesareexplainedintheRoad Rules section.

• Belicensed.Ensurethatyourdriver’slicenceorpermitiscurrent,appropriateforthevehicleyouaredrivingandwithyou.RefertotheDrivers and Licensingsectionfordetails.TheDriversandLicensingsectionalsoincorporatesFitnesstoDrive.

• Ensureyourvehicleisroadworthy,registeredandinsured.AlldriversofregisteredvehiclesinSouthAustraliaarecoveredbyCompulsoryThirdPartyInsurance.RefertotheVehicles and Registrationsectionfordetails.

WhilstIrecommendthatyoureadthishandbookfromcovertocover,if you are applying for a learner’s permit, you will need to study the Road Safety and Road Rules sections carefully.

Stayalertandtravelsafely.

RegistrarofMotorVehicles

Your Road Safety ResponsibilitiesRoadSafety–MinimisingtheRisks6YoungDrivers8UnderstandDifferentTypesofCrashesandHowtoAvoidThem10InCaseofaCrash14SpeedingandInappropriateTravelSpeeds17

Alcohol,Drugs,MedicinesandDriving20Seatbelts26DriverDistractionandInattention28DriverFatigue30SharetheRoad32HazardousDrivingSituations35

Road RulesHowtoReadtheDiagrams40Care,Courtesy,CommonSense41SeatbeltsandRestraints42SpeedLimits44DrivingontheRoad47Signs54DrivingSignals56TrafficLights61Crossings64GivingWay68

ApproachingandEnteringaRoundabout75FreewaysandExpressways77Obstruction79TowingandLoads80DrivingatNightorinPoorVisibility82Motorcycles84Cyclists86SharingtheRoadwithHeavyVehicles88Parking91MiscellaneousRules97

Contents

Vehicles and RegistrationWhattodoasaSeller146 WhattodoWhenBuyingaCar147

Glossary and IndexGlossary148 Index152

Drivers and LicensingObtainingaLicence102GraduatedLicensingScheme106

FitnesstoDrive126


The Driver’s Handbook4

L I C E N C E C L A S S E S


17years:•ifyouareundertheageof25youmusthave heldyourlearner’spermitforatleast12months.•ifyouareaged25oroveryoumusthave heldyourlearner’spermitforatleast6months.MusthaveheldaclassCforatleastoneyear.

MusthaveheldaclassCforatleastoneyear.

Theapplicantmusthaveheld-(a) aclassCforatleasttwoyears; or(b) aclassLRorMRforatleastoneyear.

MusthaveheldaclassMRorHRforatleastoneyear.

MusthaveheldaclassHCorHRforatleastoneyear.17years;andifnootherlicenceisheld:•ifyouareundertheageof25youmusthave heldyourlearner’spermitforatleast12months.•ifyouareaged25oroveryoumusthave heldyourlearner’spermitforatleast6months.MusthaveheldaclassR-DATE*foratleastoneyear.

• Anymotorvehiclewithagrossvehiclemass(GVM)notgreaterthan4.5tonnesbutdoes notincludeabus,motorcycleormotortrike.Themotorvehiclemaytowasingletrailer, subjecttothecombinationmasslimitsfixedundertheRoad Traffic Act 1961.

• AnymotorvehiclefromclassC.• AnyothermotorvehiclewithaGVMnotgreaterthan8tonnesexceptamotorcycleor motortrike.Themotorvehiclemaytowasingletrailer,subjecttothecombinationmass limitsfixedundertheRoad Traffic Act 1961.• AnymotorvehiclefromclassLR.• Anyothermotorvehiclewith2axlesexceptamotorcycleormotortrike.Themotorvehicle maytowasingletrailer(otherthanasemi-trailer)withaGVMnotgreaterthan9tonnes, subjecttothecombinationmasslimitsfixedundertheRoad Traffic Act 1961.• AnyspecialpurposevehiclewithaGVMnotgreaterthan15tonnes.• AnymotorvehiclefromclassMR.• Anyothermotorvehicle(includinganarticulatedbus,butnotincludinganyotherarticulated motorvehicle)with3ormoreaxles,exceptamotorcycleormotortrike.Themotorvehicle maytowasingletrailer(otherthanasemi-trailer)withaGVMnotgreaterthan9tonnes, subjecttothecombinationmasslimitsfixedundertheRoad Traffic Act 1961.• AnymotorvehiclefromclassHR.• Anyprimemovertowhichisattachedasinglesemi-trailer(whetherornotanyunladen converterdollyorlowloaderdollyisalsoattached).• AnyrigidmotorvehicletowhichisattachedasingletrailerwithaGVMgreaterthan 9tonnes(whetherornotanyunladenconverterdollyorlowloaderdollyisalsoattached).• Anymotorvehicleorcombinationofmotorvehiclesexceptamotorcycleormotortrike.

• Anyapprovedmotorcycleormotortriketheenginecapacityofupto660mlwitha power-to-weightrationotexceeding150kw/t.

• Anymotorcycleormotortrike.

Motor Vehicles Authorised To Be Driven Minimum Driving ExperienceLicenceClass

C

LR

MR

HR

HC

MC

R-DATE*

R*PleasenotethattheR-Dateisnotan‘expiry’dateinthesamewayasappliestootherlicenceclasses,butisineffectan‘eligibility’date.

Theholderofadriver’slicenceendorsedR-Dateremainsrestrictedtoamotorcycleormotortrikewithanenginecapacityupto660millilitreswithapowertoweightratioupto150kw/tuntilheorsheisgrantedalicenceendorsedR,notwithstandingthefactthatthedateincludedontheclassificationmayhavepassed.


YourRoadSafetyResponsibilities

You are encouraged to carefully read the following road safety pages. They can help South Australian drivers

of all ages to drive in the safest ways possible and set the scene for life-long safe driving

behaviours and experiences.

The Driver’s Handbook6 The Driver’s Handbook6

R O A d S A f E t y

Driving involves risk, and safe drivers aim to reduce and manage their risk by making good decisions and taking responsibility for their behaviour when driving.

Road Safety – Minimising the Risks Driving a car is one of the riskiest activities that people perform on a daily basis. Each year, there are thousands of crashes in South Australia, often involving death and injury. Driving is complicated and presents many challenges every time you drive. It requires a lot of time and practice to develop the skills to become a safe driver.


Certainbehavioursaremajorcontributorstohighriskdrivingandcrashes.Theseinclude:

• speedingandinappropriatetravelspeedsfortheroador weatherconditions

• drivingafterdrinkingalcoholorwhenimpairedbydrugs

• notwearingseatbelts

• driverdistractionandinattention,includinguseofmobile phones

• driverfatigue.

ThesebehavioursarediscussedinmoredetailonthefollowingpagesandfurtherinformationcanbefoundontheDepartmentofPlanning,TransportandInfrastructureroadsafetywebsite:www.mylicence.sa.gov.au

Severepenaltiesapplytodriversandriderswhocommitroadtrafficoffences,includingthoseinvolvingtheabovebehaviours.Inmostcases,penaltiesincreaseinlinewiththeseriousnessoftheoffenceandwhethertheoffenceisafirst,second,thirdorsubsequentone.Thepenaltiesincludefines,demeritpoints,licencedisqualificationorevenimprisonmentinsomecases,andaredesignedtosendaclearmessagetodriversandridersaboutthedangerssuchriskybehavioursposeforthesafetyofthemselvesandotherroadusers.

Motorcyclistshaveamuchgreaterriskofcrashingthandriversofothertypesofvehicles.TheinformationcontainedinThe Driver’s Handbookshouldbereadbymotorcyclists.


InthisRoadSafetysection,youwillfindusefulinformationaboutsharingtheroad,aswellashazardousdrivingsituations,includingcountrydrivingrisksandhowtokeepyourvehiclesafe.

Youareencouragedtoreadtheroadsafetypagescarefully.TheycanhelpSouthAustraliandriversandridersofallagestodriveinthesafestwayspossibleandsetthesceneforlifelongsafedrivingbehavioursandexperience.

Inparticular,youngdrivershavebeenshowntohaveahigherriskofcrashingthanolderdrivers.Thoselearningtodriveforthefirsttime(aswellasmoreexperienceddrivers)shouldstudythe road safety and rules informationinThe Driver’s Handbookcarefullyas the learner’s permit theory test is based directly on this information.


R O A d S A f E t y


Onaverage,14youngdriversand8youngpassengersaged16-24arekilledinSouthAustraliaeachyear.Inaddition,around190driversandpassengersinthisagegroupareadmittedtohospitalasaresultofaroadcrash.Manywillsufferpermanenthead,neckorbackinjuries.

What you can do as a young or new driver Knowingtheroadrulesisanimportantfirststep.Butapplyingthemwhiledrivingrequiresskillsinnotjustvehiclecontrol,butalsoinscanningtheroadaheadandinidentifyingpotentialhazards.Suchskillsarebestlearnedthroughextensivesuperviseddrivingpracticeandanunderstandingofhowyou,asayoungdriver,respondtopressureanddistractions.

Lackofexperience,night-timedrivingandthepresenceofpassengerswithsimilaragesallcontributetoyoungerdrivershavinganincreasedriskofbeinginvolvedinacrash.

1. Passengers Researchshowsthatcarryingtwoorthreesimilaraged

passengersundertheageof21(whoarenotfamilymembers)increasestheriskofayoungdrivercrashingbyfourtofivetimescomparedtodrivingalone.Thisislikelytobeduetodistractionscausedbythepassengers,aswellaspeergrouppressureonthedrivertotakegreaterormorerisks.P1provisionallicenceholders,undertheageof25,mustnotdrivewithmorethanonepassengeraged16to20(notincludingimmediatefamilymembers)unlesstheyareaccompaniedbyaQualifiedSupervisingDriver.

Young DriversStatisticsshowthatyoungdrivershaveafargreaterriskofdeathandseriousinjurythanotherdrivers.Thefirstfewyearsofdrivingunsupervised–whenyouareonyourprovisionallicence–aretheriskiestofyourdrivinglife.Youngdriversalsohaveasignificantlyhigherriskofdeathrelativetothenumberofkilometrestheydrive,comparedtootherdriveragegroups.

The Driver’s Handbook 9The Driver’s Handbook 9

2. Late night driving Manycrashesthatleadtothedeathofyoungdriversoccur

lateatnight,particularlyonweekendnightsandwhencarryingmorethanonepassenger.Thisislikelytobeduetoinexperienceinnightdrivingaswellasfatigueandrisktaking.ResearchshowsthatP1licenceholdersareoverrepresentedinlatenightcrashescomparedtofulllicenceholders.P1provisionallicenceholders,undertheageof25,mustnotdrivebetweenmidnightand5AMunlesstheyareaccompaniedbyaQualifiedSupervisingDriver.

3. Inappropriate risk taking Youngdrivers,particularlymales,aremorelikelytodrivetoo

fastfortheroadconditions,drinkdrive,drugdriveornotwearseatbelts.

4. Perception of driving hazards Theskillstoanticipateandaccuratelyassessdrivinghazards

developovertime.Youngdriversoftenputthemselvesinpotentiallyhazardoussituations,withoutalwaysrealisingit,forexample,drivingtooclosetothevehicleinfrontorrunningredlightsratherthanstoppingintime.

Take charge of building your driving skills and experience:• Asalearnerdriver,getasmuchsuperviseddriving

practiceaspossible.Learnerdriverswhohavearound120hoursofsupervisedpracticehavebeenshowntohavesubstantialcrashreductions–upto35%.

• Learntodrivedefensively–defensivedrivinginvolveslearningtoanticipatetroublebeforeithappens.Thecompetencybased(logbook)schemeforobtainingadriver’slicenceusesadefensivedrivingapproach,asdomanydrivinginstructors.Defensivedrivingcourseswillimproveallaspectsofyourdriving.

• Ensureyouknowandadheretotheconditions,andother

laws,thatapplytoyourlicence.Theyaretheretoprotectyou<<Go to Drivers and Licensing page 101>>.


Understand Different Types of Crashes and How to Avoid ThemRear-end crashesCrasheswhereafollowingvehiclehitstherearofthevehicleinfrontarecalledrear-endcrashesandarethemostcommontypeofcrashfordriversofallages.Theirmaincauseisthatthedriverbehindisfollowingtooclosetothevehicleinfront.

Youcangenerallyreducetheriskofavehiclecollidingwiththerearofyourvehicle.Thiscanbedonebycheckingyourmirrorwellinadvanceforanyfollowingvehiclesandifthevehicleisclosebehind,youcanbegintobrakeearlier.Bykeepingasafefollowingdistancefromthevehicleinfrontatalltimes,itwillallowyoutimetobrakegentlywhenslowingorstopping.

Youmayevenflashyourbrakelightsacoupleoftimesifthevehiclebehindiseithertailgatingorapproachingatahighspeed,especiallyifyouareapproachingatrafficlightthathasbeengreenforsometime.Thegreentrafficlightcouldchangetoyellowandthenredasyouapproach.Bydisplayingyourbrakelights,thedriverbehindwillgenerallyplacetheirfootoverthebrake,whichwillreducetheirreactiontimeandtheriskofarear-endcollisionwithyourvehicle.<< see also section on stopping distances, pages 18 to 19 and 88 >>

Single vehicle crashesComparedtoexperienceddrivers,youngnewdriversaretwiceaslikelytobeinvolvedinsinglevehiclecrashes,suchasrunningofftheroad,hittingastationaryobjectorrollingtheirvehicleover.Youngdriversoftenbecomeover-confidentintheirownabilitytosafelycontroltheirvehicleatspeed.Asadrivergainsexperience,theylearntomatchthespeedoftheirvehicletotheroadconditions,whichmaymeanreducingtheirspeedtolessthanthepostedspeedlimit.Forexample,whenconditionsarewet,whentheroadisunsealedorwherethereisnoclearviewoftheroadahead.

Untilyoungornewdriversgainsufficientdrivingexperiencetomakethosespeedjudgements,theyshouldtakeparticularcarewhendrivingathigherspeeds,ascontrolofthevehicleisalotmoredifficultshouldsomethinggowrong.Onceadriverlosescontrolofavehicletravellingathighspeed,itisextremelydifficulttoregaincontrol(evenforexperienceddrivers)andoftenresultsinaseriouscrash.

Acommoncauseofcountrycrashesisrunningoffthebitumenroadsurfacetotheleft,andthenover-correctingbysteeringtotherightand/orbrakingtoohard.Iftheleftwheelsofavehicleleavethebitumen:

R O A d S A f E t y

The Driver’s Handbook

• easeofftheacceleratoranddonotbrakeharshly

• holdthesteeringwheelfirmlywithbothhands,and• easethewheelsbackontothebitumensurface,beingcarefulof

theraisedstepbetweenthesoftedgeoftheroadandthebitumensurface,becausethiscancausethesteeringwheeltobewrenchedoutofyourhand.

Moderncarsarefittedwithsafetytechnologiessuchaselectronicstabilitycontrol(ESC),whichcansignificantlypreventcrashesinvolvingrunningofftheroadand/orskidding.ESChelpsdriversmaintaincontrolovertheirvehicle,particularlyinemer-gencysituationsandonwet,icyorunsealedroads.Itdetectsinstabilityandoversteeringandstabilisesthevehiclebyautomaticallyapplyingbrakestoindividualwheels.VehiclesfittedwithESCcanreducerolloverandleftroadcrashesbyupto90%.

Turning at an intersection crashesHalfofallcrashesoccuratintersections.Themaincauseofthesecrashes,particularlyforyoungprovisionaldrivers,isalackofexperienceandjudgementinselectingsafegapsinstreamsofmovingtraffic.Itismuchbettertowaitforgapsinmovingtrafficthatarelarger,regardlessofanyimpatientdriverbehindyou.

Alearnerdrivershouldgainplentyofpracticeunderthesupervisionofanexperiencedlicenseddriveratselectingsafegapsintrafficwhenenteringorleavingabusyroad.

Crashes when changing lanes and when merging or divergingThemostcommoncauseofyoungprovisionallicenceholdersbeinginvolvedinvehiclecrasheswhenchanginglanes,mergingordivergingisthattheyfailtocheckblindspots.

Driversshouldchecktheirsidemirrorsandalsocheckblindspotsbylookingovertheirrightorleftshoulderbeforemakingalanechange,mergingordiverging.However,somedriversoftenforgetablindspotcheckwhichcanleadtoacrashoranear-missincident.

Head-on crashesHead-oncrashesoncountryroadscanhavedevastatingresults.Youngornewdriversinparticularcanlackexperienceinovertaking,andjudgementatselectingsafegapsintheon-comingtrafficwheretheycanovertake.Toreducetheriskofacrash,itisbettertochooselargergapsintheon-comingtrafficorwaituntilanovertakinglanebecomesavailable,ornotovertakeatall.<<see also sections on overtaking on pages 36 to 37, pages 54 to 55 and page 91 >>

11The Driver’s Handbook

A blind spot is an area where your vision to the front, side or rear is blocked when driving, particularly areas to your side not covered by your mirrors

blindspotblindspot

mirrorsview


R O A d S A f E t y

Safer VehiclesBuyingacar,whetherit’syourfirstcarornot,isabigresponsibility.

Itisimportantthatyourcaroffersyougoodprotectionfrominjuryinacrash–butitisalsoimportantthatyourcaroffersgoodprotectiontootherroadusers,suchaspedestrians,cyclists,motorcyclistsorthedriversofothercarsinvolvedinacrash.

Choosingasafevehiclemaybeoneofthemostimportantdecisionsyouwillevermake.Drivingacarthathasrecognisedsafetyfeaturesandahighsafetyratingisanessentialaspectinensuringsafertravelonourroads.

Buyingasafecardoesn’tmeanyouhavetospendalotofmoneyorsacrificethelookyouwant.Belowisaguidetohelpmakebuyingasafecareasier.

Safety RatingsIt’simportanttocheckthesafetyratingbeforeyoubuyacar.

FornewandnearnewvehiclesANCAP(AustralasianNewCarAssessmentProgram)undertakecrashtestsoncarstogaugethelevelofoccupantsafety.Newcarsafetyisratedonastarsystemfromonetofivestars.Pedestriansafetyprovidedbythecar isalso rated.

FormoreinformationonANCAPstar-ratedvehicles,visitwww.ancap.com.au

ForsecondhandvehiclestheUsedCarSafetyRatings(UCSR)Buyer’sGuideprovidesthesafetyratingsfor197vehiclemodelsinAustraliaandNewZealandmanufacturedbetween1996and2011.TheUsedCarSafetyRatingslistisderivedfromreportsofactualon-roadcrashesandrepresentstheabilityofthecartoprotectitsdriver.

TheUCSRBuyer’sGuide (PDF)www.mylicence.sa.gov.au/safe-driving-tips/safer-vehicles providesyouwiththecrashsafetyratingforusedcars.

Youcanusesafetyratingssystemstocomparethesafetyofdifferentbrandsormodelswhenbuyingacar.Ensuresafetyfeaturesaregivenprioritywhenyoudecidetobuy.

Eventhoughasafercarwillincreaseyoursafetyinthecaseofanaccident,itisyourresponsibilityasadrivertomaintainsafedrivinghabitstopreventaccidentsoccurring.

Buying a safe car Safetyfeaturesthatmaysignificantlyreducetheriskofdeathorseriousinjuryifyouareinvolvedinacrashinclude:

• crumplezones• collapsiblesteeringcolumns• reinforceddoorframes• front,side,curtainandkneeairbags• seatbeltsdesignedtoworkwithairbags.

Anincreasingnumberofcarsarebeingequippedwithsafetyfeaturesthatcanhelpyouavoidacrashandtheseshouldbeconsideredwhenpurchasingausedcar. Someofthesefeaturesare:

• ElectronicStabilityControl(ESC)• Anti-lockBrakeSystem(ABS)• tractioncontrol• brakeassist.


Young Drivers – My First CarThe My First Car Checklist (www.mylicence.sa.gov.au/safe-driving-tips/safer-vehicles) is a comprehensive list of safety features to help you evaluate the safety of the car you are potentially buying. You should buy the highest safety rated car that you can afford.

The Price Comparison Guide (www.mylicence.sa.gov.au/safe-driving-tips/safer-vehicles) provides a comparison of vehicles based on price and ANCAP rating.

If you are using a family car you should drive the safest car in the family.


R O A d S A f E t y

If you see a crash happen or are the first to arrive at the scene of a crash, your actions on these occasions are vital – you might be able to save a life or prevent other vehicles crashing as well. You may be able to call the Emergency Services and you may be able to provide valuable help as a witness.

In Case of a CrashIf you are involved in a crash you must:


StopStop at the scene of the crash. Failing to stop at a crash you are involved in is an offence. Use your hazard warning lights to alert other road users to possible danger.

AssistAssist anyone who is injured. Telephone 000 where there is danger such as fire, death and/or serious injury. Telephone 131 444 if non-emergency police assistance is required (e.g. if the road is blocked, or there is a traffic hazard etc.).

Exchange your informationExchange your information with the other drivers (or that driver’s representative) or other persons involved in the crash, including the owner of any property damaged at the scene.

The information you provide should include:

• thedriver’snameandaddress

• thenameandaddressoftheownerofthedriver’svehicle

• thevehicle’sregistrationnumber

• anyotherinformationnecessarytoidentifythevehicleandanyotherinformation required by a police officer about the crash.

Clean up afterwardsClear up any debris from the crash, such as broken glass, as soon as it is safe to do so.

▲▲

▲▲


Report the crash to policeThedriverofavehicleinvolvedinacrashinwhichapersoniskilledorinjuredmuststopandrenderassistance.Thedrivermustreporttoapoliceofficereitheratthesceneoratapolicestation,notmorethan90minutesafterthecrash,forthepurposeofundergoingalcoholand/ordrugtesting.

Crashesthatdon’tresultindeathorinjurymustbereportedtopoliceassoonaspossibleand,exceptinexceptionalcircumstances,nolaterthan24hoursafterthecrash,unlesstheonlypropertydamagedisthatbelongingtothedriverorwherethedamageislessthan$3000.

Be prepared to provide:• yourpersonaldetails(remembertotakeyourdriver’slicencewithyou)• yourcarregistration• theexactcrashlocation• dateandtimeofcollision• theotherparty’spersonaldetails• theotherparty’scarregistrationnumber.

YouwillbegivenaVehicleCollisionReport(VCR)numberforfuturereference.

What should you do if your vehicle needs to be towed away after a crash?TowtrucksarerosteredtoremovevehiclesfromcrashscenesinthegreatermetropolitanareaofAdelaidethroughtheAccidentTowingRosterScheme.Bylaw,onlytowtrucksoperatingwithinthisschemecanattendthesecrashes.

ThetowtruckdrivermustprovideyouwithanAuthoritytoTowform.Readtheentireformcarefullybeforeyousignit,andmakesureyouwritetheplacewhereyouwantthevehicletaken-beforeyousigntheform.Thetowtruckdrivercanprovideyouwithadvicebutitisyourrighttodecidewhereyourvehicleistaken.

If your vehicle needs to be towed after a crash within the metropolitan Adelaide area you must ring 8231 5555.

If the crash occurs outside the metropolitan area you can contact any tow truck operator available.


First AidEvenifyouarenottrainedinfirstaid,youcanhelpbyapplyingbasicmeasurestoclearavictim’sairwayandcontrolbleeding.Whileyouwaitforanambulance,youcanfollowthesesimpleguidelines:

Clear airway by:• supportingtheirheadandcarefullyrollingthepatientontotheirside• clearinganyobstructionsanddraininganyfluidfromtheirmouth• gentlytiltingtheirheadbacktoopentheirairway.

Control bleeding by:• uncoveringtheinjury• applyingdirectpressureoverthe

wound(useacleanclothorotherclothing,ifpossible).

Check breathing Check pulse Tilt head Lift jaw

Giving further assistanceIfyouknowhow,youcanalsogivemouth-to-mouthresuscitation,orCPR,ifitisrequired.

Untrainedpeopleareoftenfrightenedtotouchcasualties–butearlyinterventioncansavelivesordecreasetheimpactofinjuries,leadingtoquickerrecoveryorlesserinjuriesforthevictims.

Thesearevaluableskillsthatcanhelpinroadcrashes,andtheyarealsousefulinotheraccidentsituations.CoursesinFirstAidareavailablefromarangeofprovidersincludingStJohnAmbulanceandtheAustralianRedCrossSociety.

R O A d S A f E t y


50 realisethatyouhavetobrakeandatleastanother20metrestostop.Athigherspeeds,thedistancewillbeevengreater.

Ingoodcleardrivingconditions,youmustdrivewithinthepostedspeedlimithoweverincertaincircumstances,drivingatthe

speedlimitforthatroadcanbedangerous.Conditionssuchasbadweather,heavytraffic,

encounteringchildrenorpedestriansmayrequireyoutoreducespeedtosuitthoseroadconditions.If

youkeepyourspeeddown,youwillhavemoretimetoavoidcrashesandwillreducetheseriousnessofanyinjuriesordamage.Youmayalsosavealife–possiblyyours.Youmustonlydriveataspeedthatwouldallowyoutostopyourvehiclewithinthedistancethatyoucanseeahead.

Keeping a safe following distance

The‘followingdistance’isthespacebetweenyourvehicleandthevehicleimmediatelyinfront.Thisdistancevaries,dependingonthespeedyouaretravellingandthebrakingabilityofbothyourvehicleandthevehicleinfront.Theacceptableminimumfollowingdistance,whichisconsideredreasonablysafe,isthedistanceyourvehiclewilltravelinthreeseconds.Thisdistance–abouteightorninecarlengthsat60km/h–allowsyoutimetoglanceatmirrors,signs,sideroadsandvehiclesfurtheraheadwhilemaintainingasufficientsafetyspaceshouldthevehicleaheadsuddenlybrake.

Speedingand InappropriateTravel SpeedsWithinSouthAustraliathemaximumdefaultspeedlimitoutsideabuilt-upareais100km/h.Themaximumdefaultspeedlimitinabuilt-upareais50km/h.Unlessaroadsignoralicenceconditionindicatesotherwise,thesearethemaximumspeedsatwhichyouareallowedtodrive.Drivingabovethespeedlimitisillegal,becauseitcreatesunacceptablesafetyrisks.

Travelspeedaffectsboththeriskofacrashhappeningandtheseverityofanyinjuriesinacrash.Evensmallincreasesinvehiclespeedsignificantlyimpactonroadsafetyrisks.

Speedingcanbecomparedtodrivingundertheinfluenceofalcohol.Every5km/hincreaseinspeedina60km/hzoneisequaltoanincreasein0.05inBAC.

Speedingandinappropriatetravelspeedsareestimatedtodirectlycontributetoatleast35%ofdeathsonSouthAustralia’sroadseachyear.

Also,speedsjust5km/haboveaverageinurbanareasand10km/haboveaverageinruralareasaresufficienttodoubletheriskofacasualtycrash.

Keep your speed downForafitandalertdriver,ingooddrivingconditions,at60km/hittakesabout¾ofasecondor12metresoftravelforyouto


R O A d S A f E t y


Toestimatethefollowingdistance,usethetimelapseformula,whichappliesforanytravelspeed.

Time Lapse Formula• Allowthreesecondstopassbetweenthetimewhentherearof

thevehicleaheadpassessomestationaryobject,forexampleasignpost,andwhenthefrontofyourvehiclereachesthatpoint.Toestimatethattime,astherearofthevehicleaheadpassestheselectedpoint,count...1001,1002,1003andyourvehicleshouldnothavereachedthatpointbeforethattime.

• Oftenyoumayneedmorethanthreeseconds.Thisincludes:– whentheroadiswetorslippery

– whenvisibilityispoor

– ifconditionsaredark

– whenyouhaveaheavyload

– whentheroadisunsealed.

Total Stopping DistanceThedistanceavehicletravelsfromthetimeyouseeaneventoccurringtothetimethevehicleisbroughttoastopiscalledthetotalstoppingdistance.

Total Stopping Distance = Reaction Distance + Braking DistanceReactiondistance(orthinkingdistance)isthedistancetravelledbyavehiclewhilethedriverrealisestheneedtobrakeandactuallystartstophysicallyapplythebrake.Forafitandalertdriver,itwouldaverageabout¾ofasecondor12metresat60km/h.

Ifyoudoublethespeed,youdoublethereactiondistance.

Notethatyoucanreduceyourreactiondistancebyscanningtheroadaheadtoanticipatepotentialproblems.Ifyounoticeadriverinfrontofyoudrivingerraticallyorwaywardly,movingyourfootto‘cover’thebrakepedalwillreduceyourreactiontimeifsuddenbrakingisrequired.

Did you know? Approximately 30% of all crashes are rear-end ones (Don’t tailgate!)


Brakingdistanceisthedistancetravelledbythevehicleoncethebrakeshavebeenapplied.

• Thebrakingdistanceincreasesiftheroadiswet,slippery,unevenorunsealed.

• Thebrakingdistanceincreaseswhengoingdownhillbecauseoftheeffectofgravity.

• Thebrakingdistanceforheavyvehicles,includingbuses,ismuchgreater.Takeextracarewhenchanginglanestomoveinfrontofthem.

• Thebrakingdistanceincreasesatagreaterratethantheincreaseinthespeedyouaretravelling–ifyourspeeddoubles,yourbrakingdistancewillincreasebyfourtimes(2x2);ifyourspeedtrebles,yourbrakingdistancewillincreasebyninetimes(or3x3).Forexample,ifyourvehicletravels20metresinbrakingtoastopfrom50km/h,at100km/hitwilltakeapproximately80metrestocometoastoponthesameroadsurface(i.e.4x20metres).

Approachingacornerorbendtoofastmaycauseyoutolosecontrolofyourvehicle.Youshouldbraketoasafespeedbeforeenteringthecornerorbendbecausethevehiclewillremainmorestableandcontrollableifbrakingisdoneinastraightline.

Allow more room for heavy vehicles to stopHeavy vehicles need a long distance to stop. So if the traffic lights turn red and a truck or bus is approaching don’t pull into their lane because this reduces their stopping distance. Likewise, in flowing traffic a heavy vehicle may be trying to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front, and if you cut in front of the heavy vehicle it may not have enough room to stop safely.

Stopping distances

ASSUMES: 1. Alert driver (¾ second reaction time) 2. Braking efficiency of 75% 3. Good, dry, sealed, level surface

Total Stopping Distancein metres

Total Stopping Distance


R O A d S A f E t y


Severepenaltiesapplytodriverswhocommitdrinkordrugdrivingoffences–regardlessofwhetheryouarealearnerdriveroranunconditionallicenceholder.Penaltiesmayincludeheavyfines(upto$2,900),licencedisqualification,demeritpoints,andevenimprisonmentinsomecases.Uponreturningfromaperiodofdisqualification,driversmaybesubjecttoaconditionallicence.Forseriousdrinkdrivingoffences,driversfaceimmediatelossoflicenceattheroadsideandwillberequiredtofitanalcoholinterlockdeviceforthesameperiodastheirlicencedisqualificationbeforetheycanregaintheirfulllicence.

Alcohol, Drugs, Medicines and DrivingAlcohol,drugsandcertainmedicinesreduceyourabilitytodrivesafelyandincreaseyourriskofbeinginvolvedinacrash.Notonlydothesesubstancesimpairdrivingability,buttheeffectsofmixingthemcanbeevenmoresevere.

Asadriver,youneedtobealertandabletoconcentrateonwhatyouaredoingsothatyoucanreacttowhateverishappeningaroundyouontheroad.

Itisillegaltodrivewhileundertheinfluenceofalcoholordrugs,includingsomeover-the-counterandprescriptionmedicinesiftheyimpairyourdrivingability.

Ifyouarealearner,provisionalorprobationarylicenceholderyoumuststicktoa zero BloodAlcoholConcentration(BAC)–thismeansnoalcoholatall.AzeroBACalsoappliestodriversofbuses,taxis,heavyvehiclesandvehiclescarryingdangerousgoods.

Unconditional(full)licenceholders,includingqualifiedsupervisingdriversaccompanyingalearnerdriver,mustnotdrivewithaBACof0.05ormore.

Thepresenceofcannabis,speedorecstasydetectedinadriveralsoconstitutesanoffence–thesedrugsmaybedetectedthroughrandomroadsidesalivatests.

0.05LESS tHAN


What is Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)? BAC is a measure of the amount of alcohol in your blood. It is measured by the number of grams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. For example, a BAC of 0.05 means 0.05 grams of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of blood.


LowAlcoholBeer425ml(pint)

WineCooler285ml(Schooner)

SpiritsLiqueurs30ml(Nip)

FortifiedWine60ml(PortorSherry)

OrdinaryBeer285ml(Schooner)

MixedDrinks30ml(Spirit&Mixer)

Wine100ml(WhiteorRed)

= = = = = =

Analcoholinterlockdeviceistobefittedtoamotorvehicletomonitoradriver’sBACpreventingthevehiclefrombeingstartedoroperatedifthedriver’sBACexceedsapre-setlimit.

Thesepenaltiesaredesignedtosendaclearmessagetodriversandridersaboutthedangersofdrinkingalcoholortakingdrugsandoperatingamotorvehicle.

Alcohol

DrinkDrivingisoneofthemaincausesofroaddeathsinSouthAustralia.Eachyear,approximatelyaquarterofdriversandriderskilledinroadcrasheshaveaBACof0.05ormore–themajorityarethreetofourtimesoverthelegallimit.

Drinkingalcoholaffectsdrivingskillsandincreasesthelikelihoodthatthedriverwillengageingreaterrisk-taking.Youdon’thavetobedrunktobeaffectedbyalcohol.Youmightfeelnormal,butnoonedrivesaswellafterdrinkingalcohol.

Studieshavealsoshownthatadriver’sriskofbeinginvolvedinacasualtycrashdoublesforeveryincreaseof0.05abovezeroBAC.Forinexperienceddrivers,theriskatanyBAClevelwillbeevenhigher.


R O A d S A f E t y


• Gender–awomanwillalmostalwayshaveahigherBACthanamanofsimilarsizewhodrinksthesameamount;butthisdoesnotmeanthatmenshoulddrinkmorethanwomen.

• Foodconsumption–foodslowsdowntheabsorptionofalcoholso,ifyouhavenothadasubstantialmealbeforedrinking,youwillreachahigherBACmorequickly.

• Rateofdrinkingandtypesofdrinksconsumed–thequickeryoudrinkandthegreaterthealcoholiccontentofthedrink,thesooneryouwillreachahigherBAC.

• Generalhealth–ifyouareinpoorhealth,yourlivermaybelesseffectiveindealingwiththealcoholyoudrink.

What is Random Breath Testing (RBT)?Mobilerandombreathtestingallowspolicetorequireadrivertosubmittoarandombreathtestatanytime,includingwhentheyareinvolvedinacrash,commitatrafficoffenceorappeartobedrivingundertheinfluenceofdrugsoralcohol.Policecanalsobreathtestalearnerdriver’ssupervisingdriver.

Adriverwillbeaskedtoblowintoasmalldevice.Itwillimmediatelygiveanindicationofthealcoholintheblood–ifany.Ifadriverhasn’tbeendrinkingthereisnoproblem.Ifitisapositiveresult,adriverwillbeaskedtodoasecondtestonanotherbreathtestinginstrument.Thisreadingwillbeusedasevidenceifoverthelegallimit.

AllpoliceareabletoperformRBToperationsanywhere,anytime,acrosstheStatewiththeaimofreducingandpreventingroadcrashesandmakingourroadssafer.

Factors affecting BACResearchshowsthatthewayalcoholisbrokendownandexpelledbythebodyisdifferentforeachperson.Thewayyourbodybreaksdownalcoholisaffectedbytheamountofalcoholyoudrink.Somewaysthismayaffectyouare:

• Bodysize–forthesameamountofalcohol,asmallerpersonwillhaveahigherBACthanalargerperson,butthisdoesnotmeanthatalargerpersonshoulddrinkmore.

The effects of alcohol:• slows brain functions so that you can’t respond to

situations, make decisions or react quickly

• reduces your ability to judge how fast you are moving or your distance from other cars, people or objects

• gives you false confidence – you may take greater risks because you think your driving is better than it really is

• makes it harder to do more than one thing – while you concentrate on steering, you could miss seeing traffic lights, cars entering from side streets, pedestrians or cyclists

• affects your sense of balance – very important if you ride a motorcycle or bicycle

• makes you sleepy.


Driving under the influence Apersonwhodrives,orattemptstodriveavehiclewhileundertheinfluenceofanintoxicatingliquorordrug(eitherprescriptionorillicit)andisnotcapableofeffectivelycontrollingthevehicleisguiltyofanoffence.

Drivingundertheinfluence,morecommonlyreferredtoasDUI,isnotthesameasdrivingwiththeprescribedconcentrationofalcohol.EvenifyourBACislessthan0.05,youmaystillbechargedwithDUIifyourdrivingabilityisimpairedbecauseoftheeffectsofalcoholorotherdrugs.

Only time reduces your BAC levelIfyouhavebeendrinking,youhavetoallowtimeforthealcoholinyourbloodstreamtoreducebeforeyoudrive.Coldshowers,exercise,blackcoffee,freshairorabigmealDONOThelptoreduceyourBAC.

Ifyouhavehadanightofheavydrinking,youmaybeovertheBAClimitformuchofthenextday–themoreyoudrink,themoretimeyoumustallowbeforedriving.

DoNOTdriveifthereisanydoubtaboutyourBAC.

DoNOTcombinealcoholwithdrugsorothermedicines.

DoNOTdrinkalcoholwhenyouaretakingotherdrugs.Evensmallamountsofalcoholincombinationwithdrugsormedicationscanreduceyourabilitytodrive.Thisappliestomedicinesprescribedbyyourdoctor,orboughtinasupermarketorpharmacy.

Your Blood Alcohol Concentration can only be measured accurately by either a Police breathalyser or a medically administered blood test.

The safest Blood Alcohol Concentration for driving is zero no matter what licence class you hold.


R O A d S A f E t y


Laboratorytesting,drivingsimulatorsandon-roadtestinghaveshownthatthesedrugscanimpairperformanceondriving-relatedtasksandhavethepotentialtoincreasetheriskofroadcrashes.

SouthAustraliaPoliceconductrandomroadsidesalivateststodetectthepresenceofTHC,MethylamphetamineorMDMA.

Unlikedrinkdriving,whereaprescribedconcentrationofalcoholmustbepresentforanoffencetohavebeencommitted,thepresenceofanyamountofthedrugstestedisanoffence.

Ifadriverrefusesorfailstocomplywithdirectionsofapoliceofficerinrelationtoadrugscreeningtest,oralfluidanalysisorbloodtest,theymayfaceimmediatelossoflicenceattheroadside.Ifconvictedtheirlicencewillbedisqualifiedforatleast12months.

It is an offence to refuse, or fail to comply with, a direction of a police officer in relation to an alcotest or breath analysis or a request for a drug screening test, oral fluid analysis or blood test.

Drugs and Driving

DrugdrivingisoneofanumberofcontributorstoroaddeathsinSouthAustralia.Onaverage22%ofdriversorriderskilledonSouthAustralianroadstestpositivetoTHC(theactivecomponentincannabis–alsoknownasmarijuana,dope,hash),Methylamphetamine(alsoknownasspeed,iceorcrystalmeth),MDMA(alsoknownasecstasy),oracombinationofthese.

Manydriversremainunawareoftheeffectsthatthesetypesofdrugscanhaveontheirdrivingability–includingimpairedcoordination,muscleweakness,impairedreactiontime,poorvision,aninabilitytojudgedistanceandspeedanddistortionsoftime,placeandspace.Theycanalsoincreaseaperson’sconfidencesotheyaremorelikelytotakedangerousriskswhiledriving,placingthemselves,thesafetyoftheirpassengersandotherroadusersatevengreaterrisk.

Don’t mix driving with alcohol or drugs (including medicines). To avoid the risks, plan ahead:

• designate a non-drinking driver, if you are with others

• catch a taxi home

• use public transport

• stay the night

• arrange for someone to pick you up – only accept a lift if you are certain the driver has not been drinking or using other drugs.


What is saliva testing?Thisisanon-invasivemethodfordetectingthepresenceofTHC(cannabis),Methylamphetamine(speed)andMDMA(ecstasy).

Driversarerequiredtoprovideasalivasamplebyplacingasalivateststripontheirtongue.Driverswhotestpositivearerequiredtoprovideasalivasampleforanalysisinthedrugbusoratapolicestation.Apositiveresulttothesecondsalivasamplewillleadtofurtheranalysisinalaboratory.

Medicines

Manyprescriptionandsomeover-the-countermedicinescanimpairyourdrivingabilityandincreasecrashriskbyaffectingyourconcentration,mood,coordinationandreactiontimeasadriver.

Somemedicinesthatmayaffectdrivinginclude:sleepingtablets,musclerelaxants,sedatives,antihistamines(suchashayfeverorcoldandflumedicines)andsomestrongpainkillers.

Noteveryonewillexperiencetheeffectsofadruginthesameway.

Whenyoustartusinganewmedicinethatmayaffectyourdriving,itisbestnottodriveuntilyouunderstandandhaveexperiencedwhateffectitactuallyhasonyou.

Alwayscheckthelistedside-effectsandfollowinstructionsregardinguse.Nevertakesomeoneelse’sprescriptionmedication.Ifyouareunsureaboutthesideeffectsofyourmedicationoranyimpactitmayhaveonyourdrivingability,pleaseconsultyourdoctororpharmacist.

Stop driving and contact your doctor or pharmacist if your medicine affects your reflexes, affects your ability to concentrate, makes you sleepy or drowsy, or gives you blurred or double vision.

For further information and/or assistance related to alcohol and other drugs, contact the Alcohol and Drug Information Service on 1300 13 1340 or visit www.dassa.sa.gov.au for more information.


R O A d S A f E t y


Seatbelts Wearingaseatbeltdoublesyourchancesofsurvivingaseriouscrashyetdespitethebenefitsshownbyroadsafetyresearch,timeandtimeagaintoofewpeoplebuckleuptheirseatbelt.

Onaverage,36%ofalldriversandpassengerskilledand9%ofvehicleoccupantsseriouslyinjuredarenotwearingaseatbeltatthetimeofthecrash.Manyofthesedeathsandinjuriescouldhavebeenprevented,orbeenlesssevere,ifthepeoplewerewearingaseatbelt.Someofthesepassengerswerechildren.

Statisticsshowthatonaverage40childpassengersaged0-16yearsareeitherkilledorseriouslyinjuredinSouthAustraliaeachyear.Nearlyonethirdofthoseareunder8yearsofage.

A restraint or seatbelt will not work at all if it hasn’t been correctly fastened. Buckle up – and you double your chance of surviving a crash.

Theseverityofinjuryreceivedincrashes,especiallyinjuriestothefaceandhead,issignificantlylowerifoccupantsweartheirseatbelts.

Wearingaseatbeltcanbealifeordeathdecision–bothforyouandyourpassengers. Seatbeltsmustbewornevenifyouareonlytravellingashortdistancebecausemostroadcrasheshappenclosetohome.Forsomeonenotwearingaseatbelt,acrashat40km/hislikefallingfromatwostoreybuildingontoconcrete.Passengersnotwearingseatbeltscankillorseriouslyinjureothersinthecarif,forexample,thedriverhastobrakesuddenly.

Bylaw,driversmustensurethattheyandanyotherpassengerinthevehiclearewearingtheirseatbelt,regardlessoftheirage. However,passengersarestillaccountable,asbothdriversandpassengersaged16yearsandovercanbefinediftheyfailtowearaseatbelt. Demeritpointsalsoapply.

Whileairbagshelpreduceinjury,theyarenosubstituteforwearingseatbelts.Theairbagincreasesthebenefitofaseatbelt.Australiantestshaveshownthatanairbagreducesthechanceofaseriousheadinjurybyatleast50%.


Important information about child restraints:

Researchalsosuggeststhatchildrenarebeingmovedintobiggerseats–orareprematurelygraduatingtoseatbeltsalone–whenthisisnotappropriatefortheirsize. Asaresult,thosechildrenareexposedtoagreaterriskofinjury.<<see pages 42 and 43>>

Achildthatisproperlysecuredinanapprovedchildrestraintislesslikelytobeinjuredorkilledinacarcrashthanonewhoisnot.Sittingintherearseatofavehiclecanalsoreduceachild’sriskofinjuryordeathby35%ormoreintheeventofacrash,comparedtosittinginthefront.

Forfurtherinformationaboutchildrestraintsvisit:www.sa.gov.au/restraints

Tips for using seatbelts or child restraints effectively:

• Seatbeltsandrestraintswillonlyworkwithmaximumeffectivenessiftheyareappropriatefortheageandsizeofthepassenger.Theyshouldalso:– fitsnugly– beingoodcondition,notfrayed,stretchedorworn– bestrongandfastenedcomfortably–nottootightorloose– beeasytouse– lieflat–nottwisted– haveabucklethatworks.

• Teachchildpassengersabouttheimportanceofrestraintsandseatbelts–anddon’tstartthecaruntiltheyareallcorrectlyrestrained.

• AlwaysuseseatbeltsandchildrestraintsthatareAustralianStandardsapprovedandcorrectlyinstalled.


R O A d S A f E t y


Driver Distraction and InattentionInattentionordistractionarereportedtobeacontributingfactorfornearlyathirdoffatalcrashesand44%ofseriouscrashesperyearinSouthAustralia.

Drivingisacomplextaskrequiringcoordinationofawiderangeofskills.Toanticipateandavoidhazardsontheroad,driversmustgivetheirfullattentionatalltimes.Anylapseinconcentration(inattention),ordistractionawayfromdriving,increasestheriskofacrash.

Toooften,driversengageinactivitiesthatdistractthemfromthedrivingtask.Theseincludeusingmobilephones,eating,drinking,smoking,conversingwithpassengers,usingaudioequipment,andrespondingtodistractionscausedbychildrenorotherpassengers.Therearealsodistractionsoutsidethevehicle,suchasroadsideadvertisingthatcantakethedrivers’attentionawayfromtheroad.

Researchhasalsofoundthatcarryingpassengersposesagreaterdistractionforyoungdriversand,coupledwithpeerpressure,canincreasetheriskofacrash.

Anincreasingnumberofin-vehicleinformation,communicationandentertainmentsystemsincludingDVDplayersarebeingusedincars,whichcancontributetoadriverbeingdistracted.

Avoidthetemptationofdoingothertasksandgettingdistractedwhileyouaredriving.Takingyoureyesofftheroadordivertingyourattentionevenforjustafewsecondscanbefatal.

Distraction is an issue in both country and metropolitan areas, for all age ranges and for both males and females. Research shows that distractions can cause:

• drivers straddling or overlapping lanes on a multi-lane road, or veering across the road

• drivers driving inconsistently, speeding up or slowing down without apparent reason

• difficulty in maintaining appropriate following distances from vehicles in front (tailgating)

• lower awareness of safe gaps in traffic

• slower reaction times and hence heightened crash risk

• impairment of the driver’s judgement.


Mobile Phone Use While Driving

Drivingwhileusingamobilephonecancausebothphysicalandcognitive(thought)distraction,leadingtoimpaireddrivingperformance.Usingamobilephonewhiledrivingcansignificantlyimpairadriver’s:

• reactiontime• visualsearchpatternsorscanningtheroadahead• abilitytomaintainspeedandpositionontheroad• abilitytojudgesafegapsintraffic• generalawarenessofotherroadusers.

Researchhasshownthatusingamobilephonewhiledrivingincreasescrashriskbyatleastfourtimes.Typically,run-off-the-roadcrashesandrear-endcrashesaremostcommonlyassociatedwithmobilephoneusage.

Usingamobilephonebringsevengreaterrisktonovicedriversastheycanexperiencedifficultyinbalancingthemanydemandsontheirdriving-fromperceptual(visual),mentalandphysicaltasks. Researchhasfoundnovicedriverswhouseamobilephonespendlesstimelookingattheroadahead. Theyarealsomorelikelytowanderovertheroad(acrosstrafficlanes)andtakelongertonoticedrivinghazards.

Alldrivershavearesponsibilitytobeawareoftherulessurroundingmobilephoneusewhiledrivingandshouldrefertopages97and98forfurtherinformation.

Safe driving tips if you need to use a mobile phone

• Pulloversafely and park to make or receive a mobile phone call.

• Plan breaks in your trip for phone calls.

• Tell your family, friends and others not to call when you know you’ll be driving.


R O A d S A f E t y


Driver FatigueItisestimatedthatfatigueisafactorinupto30%offatalcrashesand15%ofseriousinjurycrashes.

Fatigueismorelikelytobeafactorincrashesinruralareasastheycaninvolvelongtripsandextensiveperiodsofcontinuousdriving,howeveranyonecanbeaffectedbyfatigue,evenwhendrivinginthecityorsuburbs.

Driverfatigueisparticularlydangerousbecauseoneofthesymptomsisdecreasedabilitytojudgeyourleveloftiredness.Researchhasshownthatnotsleepingformorethan17hourshasaneffectondrivingabilitythesameasaBloodAlcoholConcentration(BAC)of0.05.Notsleepingfor24hourshasthesameeffectas

havingaBACof0.10,doublethelegallimit.

Ifyoudon’tgetenoughsleepyouwillgointosleepdebtandwill‘owe’yourselfmoresleep.Theonlywaytorepaythisdebtisbysleeping.Untilyoucatchuponyoursleep,beforedriving,youwillhaveagreaterriskofhavingafatigue-relatedcrash.

What causes fatigue?The main causes are:• lack of quality sleep • time of day – driving when you would normally be

sleeping (eg 1am-6am) or in the afternoon period (eg 1pm-5pm) when our biological time clock makes us feel tired

• length of time performing the task • sleeping disorders such as sleep apnoea.


How do I avoid fatigue?

• Get enough quality sleep before you begin driving. Be sure to have seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep before your trip.

• The worst time to begin your trip is after work – you will be tired already, even if you do not realise it.

• Aim not to travel more than eight to ten hours each day.

• Take regular 15 minute breaks at least every two hours. Get out of the car, get some fresh air and some exercise.

• If possible share the driving. Get your passengers to tell you if you look tired or if you are showing signs of tiredness.

• Eat well balanced meals at your usual meal times. Avoid fatty foods, which can make you feel drowsy.

• Avoid alcohol and medicines that can cause drowsiness.

• Avoid driving at night. The chances of crashing are much higher late night and early morning.


FatigueFatiguecancauseadrivertodriftacrosstotheincorrectsideoftheroadandcollideheadonwithanothervehicle.Itisimportantyouareawareofthesignsoffatigue.

Listening to the radio, drinking coffee and opening the windows or vents for fresh air are not sufficient to prevent fatigue over long trips. If you are tired, the best thing you can do is to pull well off the road and sleep. There is no substitute for sleep if you are tired.


Cyclists

Tosharetheroadsafelywithcyclists,driversshould:

• scantheroadaheadforcyclists

• whenturningorenteringanintersectionlookforcyclistsandgivewayasyouwouldforanyothervehicle

• givecyclistsplentyofroom;aminimumof1mclearancewhenovertaking

• beforeopeningacardoor,lookbehindandoveryourrightshoulderforcyclists

• notdrive,stoporparkinabicyclelane(youcancrossabicyclelanetoturnleft,enterprivatepropertyorparkinaparkinglaneprovidingyouindicateandgivewaytoanycyclists)

• rememberthatcyclistscanlegallyridetwoabreast,sobepatientasyouapproachandovertakeonlywhensafe.

R O A d S A f E t y


Share the Road Pedestrians,cyclists,ridersofmotorcycles,mobilityscooters,horsesandusersofwheeledrecreationdevices;driversofcarsandheavyvehicles;theyoung,theelderly,andpeoplewithdisabilities-allroadusersshouldknowtheirresponsibilitiesandrespecttherightstosafetyofallwhoshareourroads.

PedestriansNearlyoneineverytenroaddeathsinSouthAustraliaisapedestrian.Inadditiontofatalitiesthereareonaverageover100pedestriansseriouslyinjuredand330pedestrianswhoreceiveminorinjurieseachyear.

Driverscanhelpmakeroadssaferforpedestriansbyscanningforpedestriansatcrossingsandintersections,andbeingawareofthepotentialpresenceofpedestriansaffectedbyalcoholaroundentertainmentvenuesandduringfestiveseasons.Driversshouldslowdownwherethereisahighamountofpedestrianactivityandrememberthatolderpedestriansandthosewithdisabilitiesmayneedextratimetocrossaroad.

Driversmustgivewaytopedestriansonthefootpathwhenenteringorleavingadrivewayorotherroadrelatedarea.Ifadriveristurningleftorright,thedrivermustgivewaytoanypedestrianatorneartheintersectionontheroad,orpartoftheroadthedriverisentering.Underthelaw,mobilityscooteruserstravellingunder10km/harepedestrians.


Horse riders

UndertheAustralianRoadRules,ahorseisconsideredavehicleandthereforeispermittedtoberiddenontheroad.Ifyouseeahorseandrideronorneararoadyoushould:

• treatthehorseasapotentialhazard

• slowdownand,whensafe,passwithcare

• stopyourvehicleontheleftsideoftheroadandturnofftheengineifthehorseisunsettledortheridersignalsthistoyou

• notaccelerateorrevyourenginenearahorse

• notsoundyourhornormakeunnecessarynoise

• notthrowobjectsorshoutatahorseorrider.

This road sign indicates that horses may be present, so drive with caution.

Cyclist passing or overtaking vehicles on the left

Whetheryouareridinginamarkedbicyclelaneorsharingalanewithavehicle,abicycleridermustnotpassorovertakeontheleftofanyvehiclethatisgivingaleftchangeofdirectionsignalandisturningleft.Abicycleridermaypassorovertakeavehicleontheleftwhenthevehicleisgivingaleftchangeofdirectionsignalandisstationaryormovingforwardtoturnleft.Oncethevehiclebeginsturninglefttheridermustnotridepastorovertakethevehicleontheleft.

Adriverturningleftthroughabreakinadividingstripmustgivewaytoanycyclisttravellinginthebicyclelane.Adividingstripisapaintedareaoraraisedstructure,locatedbetweenintersections,separatingthebicyclelanefromamarkedlane.Driversmustnotovertakeacyclistandthenturnleftinfrontofthecyclist’spathwithoutduecareandconsiderationtothemovementandsafetyofthecyclist.

PicturebyDaveCronin.

Many cyclists are badly hurt when drivers open car doors without looking properly, so take care when opening your car door and look out for cyclists.

The Driver’s Handbook34 The Driver’s Handbook34

MotorcyclistsMotorcyclists,includingscooterriders,areover-representedinroadtrauma.Theyarenearly30timesmorelikelytobekilledorseriouslyinjuredthanothervehicledriversforthesamedistancetravelled.InSouthAustraliamotorcyclesmakeup3%ofregisteredvehiclesandaccountforaround16%offatalities.

Becausemotorcycleridersarelessprotectedthancardrivers,theyhaveagreaterchanceofbeingkilledorinjuredinacrash.Thelawrequiresallmotorcycliststowearhelmetsandtheyshouldalsowearprotectiveclothing,particularlywithbrightcoloursto

makethemmoreeasilyseen.Ridingwithheadlightsswitchedoncanalsoimprovemotorcyclists’safety.Riderswhousedaytimerunninglightsincreasethechancesofotherroadusersseeingthemotorcyclesapproaching.

Driverscanhelpmakeroadssaferformotorcyclists,inmuchthesamewayastheydoforcyclists,byalwayscheckingwhatisinfrontoftheirvehicle,behinditandtoeachside.Alwaysleaveplentyofroomifovertakingamotorcyclist.<< further information relevant to motorcyclists can be found on pages 84 to 85 and 116 to 119 >>

TrucksHeavyvehiclesarelarge,notverymanoeuvrableandoftenslowaroundthecity.Therefore,itisimportanttoobeytrafficlaws,becautiousandpatientwhennearthem.

Aloadedtruckweighsmanytimesmorethanacar,whichmeansitneedsalongerdistancetostopsafely.Whenatruckleavesalargegapandstartsslowingdownapproachingaredtrafficlightorroundabout,donotcutinfront,otherwiseyoumaynotleavethetruckdriverenoughroomtopullup.

Trucksdisplaying‘DONOTOVERTAKETURNINGVEHICLE’signmayneedmultiplelanestomaketheirturn,soalwaysbecarefulwhenpassingtruckswiththesignandavoidpassingontheleftunlessitissafetodoso.

Oncountryroadspeopleoftenbecomeimpatientwhenbehindtrucksbutyoushouldnottakeunnecessaryriskswhenovertaking.Alwaysassesstherisks. << further information relevant to sharing the road with trucks can be found on pages 19, 52 to 53 and 88 to 90 >>

R O A d S A f E t y

Hazardous Driving Situations Remember that hazardous driving situations can happen at any time. Always be aware of what is in front of you, behind you and beside you, so that you are ready for unexpected hazardous situations and have the time to take necessary actions. Use your rear-view mirror and your side mirrors at frequent intervals, especially before signalling, braking and turning, to check what other road users are doing. Drivers can only use front and rear fog lights in hazardous weather conditions. They must not be used at other times. Always ensure that you and your passengers are wearing properly fastened and adjusted seatbelts. << see seatbelts pages 26 to 27 and 42 to 43 >>



R O A d S A f E t y


Broken windscreenMostmodernvehiclesarefittedwithlaminatedglass,soawindscreenwillonly‘crack’underimpacthowever,iftheglassshattersandyoucan’tsee,slowdownanduseanotherwaytoseeahead,suchasopeningthesidewindowandlookingout,gentlyputyourfootonthebraketowarnfollowingtrafficthatyouareabouttostop.Cometoastopslowlyandcarefully.Stopofftheroadorasclosetotheleftsideoftheroadasyoucanwithsafety.

Gravel and other loose surfacesDrivingongravelroadsorotherroadswithlooseorshiftingsurfacesrequiresmuchcareandattention.Drivingontheseroadsismorehazardousthandrivingonbitumenroads.Ascontrolofthevehicleandbrakingaremoredifficult,driversshouldslowdowntomaintainsafecontrol.

Whendrivingonagravelroad,whichhashalfofthetyregriporfrictionofabitumenroad,adriverwillneeddoublethedistancewhenbrakingtoastopascomparedtothebrakingdistancenormallyrequiredonbitumen.

Similarly,whendrivingaroundabendonagravelorunsealedroad,lossofcontrolofthevehicle(skidding)willoccuratamuchlowerspeed,comparedtothecontrolyouwouldhavewhendrivingaroundasimilarbendonabitumenroad.

Tyre blowout (puncture)Ifafronttyreblowsout,thevehiclewillpulltowardsthesidewiththeblowntyre.Ifitisthereartyre,therearofthevehiclewillalsotendtoswayfromsidetoside.DoNOTbrakesud-denly.Trynottoover-reactwiththesteering.Easeofftheaccelerator,keepafirmgriponthesteeringwheelandbrakeGENTLYtostop,keepingthecar’ssteeringstraightahead.

Overtaking other vehiclesBeforeattemptingtoovertakeonacountryroad,askyourselfwhetheritisreallynecessaryasyoumaynotbesavingmuchintraveltime.Alwayscheckyourmirrorsandoveryourrightshoulderforvehiclesbehindyou,beforesignallingandthenovertaking,butholdbackifyoucannotclearlyseeifthereisenoughspaceahead.Markedovertakinglanesoncountryhighwaysprovidesafewaystoovertake.Whenusingtheselanes,youmustalwaysdriveintheleftlaneunlessyouareovertaking.

Whenovertaking,turnyourheadlightsonsootherdriverscanseeyourvehicle.Infact,ifyourvehicleisnotfittedwithdaytimerunninglights(whichturnonautomatically)turningyourheadlightsonwhendrivingoncountryroadscanincreaseyoursafety.<< see also overtaking in the road rules section on pages 52 to 53 and page 89 >>


Listening to the radio, drinking coffee and

opening the windows or vents for fresh air are not sufficient to prevent fatigue over long trips. If you are tired, the best thing you can do is to pull well off the road and sleep. There is no substitute for sleep if you are tired.

Slow moving vehicles and heavy vehiclesSometimesoncountryroads,youmayencounterslow-movingvehiclessuchastractorsandotheragriculturalmachineryorbicycles.Takeextracarewhenapproachingthemasyouwillhavelesstimetodecidewhethertosafelyovertakethemthanwithotherfastermovingvehicles.Safedriverstravelataspeedthatenablesthemtosloworstoptheirvehicletoavoidacollisioninsituationswheresightdistanceislimitedsuchasaroundcurvesandovercrests.Cyclistsareextremelyvulnerableroadusersonhighspeedroadsandwindcreatedbyyourvehiclewhenovertakingcanhaveasignificanteffectonthestabilityofabicycle.Alwaysprovideasmuchroomaspossiblebetweenyourvehicleandcyclistwhenovertaking.Ifpossible,onmulti-lanedroads,moveentirelyintoadjacenttravellanestoovertake.<< see pages 86 to 87 >>

Youalsooftenmeetheavyvehiclesoncountryroadsandhighways.Whilelong-distancevehiclestypicallyusethemaininterstateroutes,livestocktransporters,milktankersandgraintruckswilloftenbeencounteredonotherroads.Manyheavyvehiclestravelatnight,whichmakesitismoredifficulttojudgetheirspeedandhowclosetheyare.

Ifyouintendtoovertakealongvehicle,staywellbackfromtherearofthevehiclewhilewaitingforasafe,clearovertakingopportunity.Thiswillallowyoutoseefurtheralongtheroadpasttheheavyvehiclewithouthavingtomovetoofartotheright.Itwillalsoreducetheriskofhavingyourwindscreenbrokenfromanystonesflickedupbythetyresofthetruck.Watchoutfortrailersorcaravansthatmayswayfromsidetoside.Byholdingback,youwillalsoallowvehiclesapproachingfromtheoppositedirectiontoseeyouearlier.

Pic to come


Footbrake failureIfthefootbrakesinkstothefloor,thefirstthingtodoistopumpthebrakepedalseveraltimestoseeifyoucanraiseenoughpressureinthebrakes’hydraulicsystemtobringthevehicletoasafestop,ifthisdoesn’thelp,easethehandbrakeon,increasingthepressuregradually(suddenpressurecanlockthebackwheelsandcauseaskid)andchangetoalowergear.Donotcontinuetodriveifyourbrakeshavefailed.

Animals on the roadWhendrivingincountryareas,itisnotuncommontoencounterlivestock(e.g.cowsorsheep),whichmayhavewanderedontotheroad,ormaybebeingmovedacrossordownaroad.

Animalssuchascattle,kangaroos,emusandevendogsandcatscanbehypnotisedbytheglareofheadlights.Ifananimalisontheroadinfrontofyou,brakeslowly,soundyourhornandflashyourheadlights–don’tswerve.Trytopasssmoothlybehindtheanimal.Kangaroosandmanyothernativeanimalsareespeciallyactiveatnightandatdawn.

Water on the roadAfterheavyrainoraburstwaterpipe,ifalargepuddleofwaterappearsacrosspartoftheroadandyouneedtodrivethroughthewater,slowdownbeforedrivingthroughthewatertoavoidlosingcontrolofyourvehicle.Ifyoudrivetooquicklythroughapuddleyouriskthecaraquaplaningorslidingandbecominguncontrollable.Ifwaterovertheroadcouldbetoodeepforyourvehicle,stopandcheckthedepthbeforedrivinganyfurther.

Afterdrivingthroughwater,alwayscheckyourbrakestobesuretheyareworkingeffectively.Ifwaterhasreachedthebrakelinings,thebrakeswillnotbeaseffective.Aneasywaytodrythemoutistodriveforashortdistancewithyourfootpressedgentlyonthebrake.

R O A d S A f E t y

This sign indicates that stock may be present either crossing or walking alongside the road

Updated Responsibilities v2

Documents

Transcript of Updated Responsibilities v2