1 Road Safety

Section 1 - Pre-Quiz

Complete the quiz on the link on your Google classroom before engaging with the content that follows.

What did you get? Score: ______________ / 15

Section 2 - Statistics and Overview

Source: Exploring HPE: Health and Physical Education (Titan Education 9&10 textbook

Road safety study guides for teachers and students in years 9 to 12 covering passenger safety, learning to drive and buying and maintaining a car.  www.mynrma.com.au/community/what-we-do/education-centre/high-school-and-young-drivers-study-guides

Driving is an extremely high risk activity. Individuals are more likely to die in a car accident than a range of other occurrences such as drowning, being murdered or dying in a plane crash. Driving is extremely common in Australia. It is often considered a rite of passage when young people receive their license and gain independence, although the risks associated with driving are increased for adolescents and inexperienced drivers. Through the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) 2011–2020, the Australian Government and all state and territory governments have set national targets to reduce the annual numbers of fatalities and serious injuries from road crashes by at least 30% by 2020.

The increases in deaths in 2015 and 2016 highlight the diffi culty Australia is facing to reach the 30% reduction target for deaths. There is currently no nationally agreed measure of serious injuries from road crashes, but annual hospitalisations due to road crashes appear to have been increasing. There are around 36,000 people hospitalised every year, causing ongoing pain and suffering and an enormous economic loss to Australia.

The factors that increase the chance of young drivers being involved in road accidents include:

inexperience
aggressive driving
speeding
peer pressure
distracted driving
influence of alcohol and drugs
risk-taking
fatigue.

All road fatalities in Australia, by age, since 1989.

Section 3 - L, P1 and P2 licenses

Source: Exploring HPE: Health and Physical Education (Titan Education 9&10 textbook

Learner Drivers

Roads and Maritime Services NSW

Individuals must be 16 years old before obtaining a learner’s license.

DKT = driver knowledge test.

You must keep a logbook as a form of journal used to record all the hours of driving you undertake.

You will have to log at least 120 hours of supervised driving (which includes a minimum of 20 hours of night driving) before you can attempt the Driving Test. Night driving hours are between sunset and sunrise.

Individuals must be at least 17 years old to attempt the P1 drivers test.

Learner drivers must:

be supervised at all times by the holder of a full Australian driver licence
have L plates displayed conspicuously at the front and rear exterior of the car (or an L sign on the roof) when driving – the letter L must not be hidden
observe a maximum speed limit of 90 km/h
not tow any other vehicle
not exceed zero blood alcohol concentration – they cannot drink before driving (it is also illegal to drive under the influence of drugs)
not supervise another learner driver
only carry the number of passengers that can be properly seated in seats and restrained by approved seat belts or child restraints
only drive vehicles that have a seat belt fitted to the driver’s position and you must wear the seat belt
not use any functions of a mobile phone, including hands-free devices. Failure to comply with any of the above requirements is an offence and carries heavy penalties, including loss of licence.

P1 and P2 - Provisional licenses

Roads and Maritime Services NSW

Conditions and Restricitions

In addition to complying with the NSW Road Rules, you must:

Only drive cars. You cannot apply to upgrade your licence to a higher class
Display P plates (red P on a white background) clearly on the front and back of the vehicle, on the outside. The letter P on the plate must not be hidden. If you’re towing a trailer, a P plate must be on the back of the trailer
Observe the posted speed limit and never drive over the maximum speed limit of 90 km/h
Only tow trailers up to 250 kilograms of unloaded weight. You must display a P plate (red P on a white background) on the back of the trailer while towing
Not have any alcohol in your system when you drive a vehicle. It’s also illegal to drive under the influence of drugs
Not supervise a learner driver
Ensure all occupants, including yourself, are in a seat with a seatbelt or an approved restraint fitted, with each passenger using the seatbelt or restraint
Not use any mobile phones, including hand free devices or loudspeaker, while driving or while your vehicle is stopped but not parked
Only drive automatic transmission vehicles, or clutchless manual vehicles, if you took your driving test in this type of vehicle. Your licence card will show the A034 condition on the front.

Prohibited vehicles

Prohibited vehicle conditions apply to provisional licence holders to keep novice drivers safe on our roads.

From 1 August 2014, a high performance vehicle is defined as a vehicle which:

Has a power to tare mass ratio (PMR) of greater than 130 kilowatts per tonne or
Has had a significant engine modification (PDF, 262Kb), or
Is listed in the Roads and Maritime document Novice Driver- High Performance Vehicle Restrictions as a high-performance vehicle.

Please go to the Prohibited vehicles- definitions page to see how the PMR is calculated.

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/check-prohibited-vehicles-provisional-p1-and-p2-drivers

Section 4 - Dangerous Driving and Penalties

Source: Exploring HPE: Health and Physical Education (Titan Education 9&10 textbook NSW Centre for Road Safety

Speeding

Roads and Maritime Services NSW

Speeding is a contributing factor in about 40% of road deaths. This means that nearly half of all road deaths are due to people breaking the law – doing something that everyone with a licence knows is illegal and dangerous.

According to recent statistics:

Speeding causes about twice as many deaths as fatigue-related crashes.
Speed-related crashes injure about eight times more people than those hurt in crashes because they didn’t wear seatbelts.
In 2017, approximately 450 people died in speed-related crashes.
The risk of being involved in a fatal accident doubles with each 5km/h increase in speed when travelling over 60km/h.

For a full list of speeding fines , click HERE.

Note: Vehicles typically fall into two categories of classes, Class A and Class B. Class A are cars and motorcycles. Class B includes trucks, heavy vehicles, and can include larger items being towed depending on the overall dimensions.

Driver Fatigue

Fatigue is a major contributing factor to road accidents. It is a factor in up to 35% of fatal road crashes. Fatigue-related crashes are most likely to occur between midnight and 6am.

Early warning signs of fatigue include:

yawning
tired eyes
restlessness
oversteering
moving in and out of a lane
unaware changes in speed

Once fatigued, the only cure is to stop and take a break. Fatigue while driving can result in microsleeps – brief, unintended episodes of sleep lasting for between a few seconds and a few minutes. Individuals may not even be aware they have had a microsleep – they can occur when a person’s eyes are open.

Distracted Driving

The use of mobile technological devices while driving has led to countless motor vehicle accidents – many of them with fatal outcomes. The temptation to text may be all it takes to distract a driver. Distracted drivers put themselves and the lives of others at risk. Who would imagine that sending a quick smiley face text message could result in a fatal crash? It’s never worth the risk. Making smart choices saves lives.

Rather than responding to a text message or answering an important call while driving, there are easy life-saving options that can be taken:

Drivers can simply pull over to the side of the road to respond, except on a clearway or motorway. In such cases, drivers would need to find a side street or exit the motorway to return a call safely.
Voicemail can be activated and the phone switched to silent mode while driving, to avoid the temptation of answering.
Some phones have a function available that automatically sends a message to anyone who calls or texts when the phone is in 'car mode', enabling drivers to inform the caller/sender that they are driving and will respond as soon as they have arrived at their destination.
For fully-licensed drivers, mobile phone holders are a legal, hands-free option. Caution is still required if these devices are used. Conversations can be distracting in a cognitive way, especially if heated topics are being discussed while driving. Distraction through phone use while driving can be as dangerous as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%. Many people may think they are multi-tasking and being clever by driving while using their phone at the same time. In moments, they could also be juggling injuries and regret. It is illegal to text and drive. There is zero tolerance for it. Make wise choices by avoiding distractions while driving. Your life could depend on it.

AT&T It Can Wait | Take the Pledge to Drive Distraction Free Join the movement to end distracted driving. Take the pledge, spread the message, and become an advocate in your community today.

Alcohol and Driving

In Australia, all drivers can now be randomly tested for alcohol and drugs in their system. The level of alcohol in your bloodstream is referred to as blood alcohol concentration (BAC). BAC limits are zero for L-plate and P-plate drivers and 0.05% for fully licensed drivers. The amount of alcohol in your bloodstream is difficult to accurately calculate without expensive equipment, because it depends on a number of factors which vary for different individuals and situations. These factors include gender, body size, amount of alcohol consumed, the time taken to consume alcohol, the amount of food in the stomach and the condition of the liver.

Drinking coffee, energy drinks or sleeping does not speed up the process of alcohol leaving the body.

Drug driving is a serious road safety issue. In the last five years approximately 41% of all drivers and motorcyclists killed who were tested, had drugs in their system, with cannabis, methamphetamine (speed and ice) and ecstasy the most common substances detected.

The procedure for random roadside drug testing is as follows:

1. Drivers are asked to provide a saliva sample by placing a small absorbent pad on their tongue for a few seconds.

2. The sample is analysed at the roadside, this takes about three minutes.

3. Drivers with a positive result are taken to a roadside bus for further testing.

4. If this test is also positive, the sample is sent to a laboratory for confi rmation.

5. The results of this lab test form the basis for charging the driver.

Effect of alcohol on driving

The laws and regulations pertaining to drink driving have developed over time. The dangers and long-term effects of drink driving have become widely understood. Alcohol has adverse effects on the body, that, when mixed with driving, can have damaging effects. Consuming alcohol can affect driving skills and ability in the following ways:

poor concentration
drowsiness
dizziness
light-headedness
fatigue
nausea
poor coordination
inability to judge distance
impaired hazard perception
reduced reaction time
feeling more reckless and/or invincible.

All other Driving Offences

Any action an individual takes on the road has repercussions. Often the consequences of unsafe road use can be life changing and dramatically interfere with the way an individual lived their life before the unsafe road behaviour. There are numerous unsafe road behaviours, including speeding, drink driving, drug driving, using a mobile phone and breaking road rules.

Using the road in an unsafe manner can result in:

stress
guilt
loss of licence
fine
loss of independence
criminal record
loss of employment due to loss of licence
disability
loss of life
jail time.

For a full list of all driving offences and their fines , click HERE.

Note: Use "ctrl + f" to search for a key term like 'alcohol', 'turn', etc.

Unsafe Driving Conditions

Every year in Australia, drivers are injured in car accidents resulting from dangerous driving conditions. There are a variety of driving conditions such as driving in snow, fog, rain, mist, night-time, dusk, dirt roads and many more. It is important drivers understand the potential risks associated with each condition. Depending on the condition, the driver must act accordingly and abide by rules, legal requirements and safe driver practices.

The rules and legal requirements in most conditions relate to adjusting speed.

By slowing down in dangerous conditions, drivers increase their ability to judge potential risks and act accordingly by stopping or avoiding collisions. New drivers are less experienced to deal with dangerous conditions and often fail to use different approaches when in these conditions.

Rain

Rain specifically accounts for a number of road-related injuries and deaths each year in single-vehicle collisions, as young drivers fail to slow down and abide to the speed limits. Rain decreases braking rates as the rain, oil and slick combine on the road to create a slippery surface. Drivers need to slow down, make sure their tyres are properly inflated and adjust their speed when cornering.

Night Driving

Night driving also accounts for many accidents and deaths on the roads. Drivers spend 25% of driving time at night. Although there is less traffic, deaths caused by accidents at night happen three times more often than during the day. This is due to poor visibility, fatigue and the use of alcohol. Despite many government campaigns on risk-taking at night, people still make the wrong decisions and drive home after a night out. Because of these risks, accidents are more likely to occur on the weekends after social events.

Country Roads

Many accidents occur on country roads where speed is the major cause of accidents. Many country roads are in a poorer condition than city roads and are often surfaced with gravel or dirt. Country roads and highways are also long and require drivers to travel longer distances, increasing driver fatigue and concentration skills. Drivers must stop, revive and survive every two hours in these conditions to increase safety.

Dirt / Snow Roads

Dirt roads may be dangerous in wet weather conditions as roads can become unstable, produce potholes and mud. Country roads often require 4WD vehicles featuring high- and low-range gears and transmission control for gripping and control on dirt, snow and rocky roads. In conditions such as the snow, cars without 4WD features require chains to assist with grip to reduce sliding.

Section 5 - Campaigns, Strategies and Initiatives

Speed Advisor Ap

Using the GPS capability of your phone, the Speed Adviser app monitors your location and speed, and alerts you via visual and audible warnings if you exceed the speed limit. Speed Adviser is for NSW roads only. It features:

accurate speed zone information for NSW roads, compiled by the Speed Adviser team and TomTom
clear speed limit announcements
entering active school zone announcements
spoken and visual warnings when the speed limit is exceeded
day and night mode.

Learner, P1 and P2 drivers and riders are not permitted to use the app.

Learner, P1 and P2 drivers and riders are not permitted to use a mobile phone at all while driving or riding.

Learn more about it HERE

NSW Road Rules Legilsation (2014)

Making available ALL NSW road rules online. The objects of this is to consolidate in a single instrument (in one place) the road rules that are applicable in New South Wales,.

Learn more about them HERE.

NSW Road User's Handbook

The road rules are a framework for the safe and efficient movement of traffic on NSW roads. The Road Users’ Handbook provides practical information on NSW road rules as well as road safety, low risk driving, vehicle registration and penalties for driving offences.

The handbook is essential reading for anyone learning to drive, or upgrading a licence. It is also a good way for experienced drivers to keep up to date with changes to road rules, and is informative for interstate or overseas visitors who want to drive in NSW.

Learn more about it HERE.