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South Australia · The Driver's Handbook · chapter 2 · 19 min read

Road Safety — Minimising the Risks

Licence Class

Motor Vehicles Authorised To Be Driven Minimum Driving Experience

Your Road Safety Responsibilities

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.

Road Safety – Minimising the Risks

Operating a vehicle 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. 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.

Certain behaviours are major contributors to high risk driving and crashes. These include:

These behaviours are discussed in more detail on the following pages and further information can be found on the www.mylicence.sa.gov.au website. In this Road Safety section, you will find useful information about sharing the road, as well as hazardous driving situations, including country driving risks and how to keep your vehicle safe.

You are encouraged to read the road safety pages carefully. They can help South Australian drivers and riders of all ages to drive in the safest ways possible and set the scene for lifelong safe driving behaviours and experience.

In particular, young drivers have been shown to have a higher risk of crashing than older drivers. Those learning to drive for the first time (as well as more experienced drivers) should study the road safety and road rules in The Driver’s Handbook carefully as the learner’s permit theory test is based directly on this information.

Severe penalties apply to drivers and riders who commit road traffic offences, including those involving the above behaviours. In most cases, penalties increase in line with the seriousness of the offence and whether the offence is a first, second, third or subsequent one. The penalties include fines, demerit points, licence disqualification or even imprisonment in some cases, and are designed to send a clear message to drivers and riders about the dangers such risky behaviours pose for the safety of themselves and other road users.

Motorcyclists have a much greater risk of crashing than drivers of other types of vehicles. The information contained in The Driver’s Handbook should be read by motorcyclists.

On average, 9 young drivers and 4 young passengers aged

16-24 are killed in South Australia each year. In addition, around 95 drivers and passengers in this age group are admitted to hospital as a result of a road crash. Many will suffer permanent head, neck or back injuries.

What you can do as a young or new driver Knowing the road rules is an important first step. But applying them while driving requires skills in not just vehicle control, but also in scanning the road ahead and in identifying potential hazards. Such skills are best learned through extensive supervised driving practice and an understanding of how you, as a young driver, respond to pressure and distractions.

Lack of experience, night-time driving and the presence of passengers with similar ages all contribute to younger drivers having an increased risk of being involved in a crash.

Young Drivers Statistics show that young drivers have a far greater risk of death and serious injury than other drivers. The first few years of driving unsupervised – when you are on your provisional licence – are the riskiest of your driving life. Young drivers also have a significantly higher risk of death relative to the number of kilometres they drive, compared to other driver age groups. Passengers Research shows that carrying two or three similar aged passengers under the age of 21 (who are not family members) increases the risk of a young driver crashing by four to five times greater compared to driving alone. This is likely to be due to distractions caused by the passengers, as well as peer group pressure on the driver to take greater or more risks. P1 provisional licence holders, under the age of 25, must not drive with more than one passenger aged 16 to 20 (not including immediate family members) unless they are accompanied by a Qualified Supervising Driver (exemptions apply).

4. Late night driving Many crashes that lead to the death of young drivers occur late at night, particularly on weekend nights and when carrying more than one passenger. This is likely to be due to inexperience in night driving as well as fatigue and risk taking. Research shows that P1 licence holders are over represented in late night crashes compared to full licence holders. P1 provisional licence holders, under the age of 25, must not drive between midnight and 5AM unless they are accompanied by a Qualified Supervising Driver (exemptions apply).

Inappropriate risk taking Young drivers, particularly males, are more likely to drive too fast for the road conditions, drink drive, drug drive or not wear seatbelts.

Perception of driving hazards The skills to anticipate and accurately assess driving hazards develop over time. Young drivers often put themselves in potentially hazardous situations, without always realising it, for example, driving too close to the vehicle in front or running red lights rather than stopping in time. Take charge of building your driving skills and experience:

Single vehicle crashes

Understand Different Types of Crashes and How to Avoid Them Rear-end crashes

Crashes where a following vehicle hits the rear of the vehicle in front are called rear-end crashes and are the most common type of crash for drivers of all ages. Their main cause is that the driver behind is following too close to the vehicle in front. You can generally reduce the risk of a vehicle colliding with the rear of your vehicle. This can be done by checking your mirror well in advance for any following vehicles and if the vehicle is close behind, you can begin to brake earlier. By keeping a safe following distance from the vehicle in front at all times, it will allow you time to brake gently when slowing or stopping. Compared to experienced drivers, young new drivers are more likely to be involved in single vehicle crashes, such as running off the road, hitting a stationary object or rolling their vehicle over. Young drivers often become over-confident in their own ability to safely control their vehicle at speed. As a driver gains experience, they learn to match the speed of their vehicle to the road conditions, which may mean reducing their speed to less than the posted speed limit. For example, when conditions are wet, when the road is unsealed or where there is no clear view of the road ahead.

Until young or new drivers gain sufficient driving experience to make those speed judgements, they should take particular care when driving at higher speeds, as control of the vehicle is a lot more difficult should something go wrong. Once a driver loses control of a vehicle travelling at high speed, it is extremely difficult to regain control (even for experienced drivers) and often results in a serious crash.

A common cause of country crashes is running off the bitumen road surface to the left, and then over-correcting by steering to the right and/ or braking too hard. If the left wheels of a vehicle leave the bitumen:

Modern cars are fitted with safety technologies such as electronic stability control (ESC), which can significantly prevent crashes involving running off the road and/or skidding. ESC helps drivers maintain control over their vehicle, particularly in emergency situations and on wet, icy or unsealed roads. It detects instability and oversteering and stabilises the vehicle by automatically applying brakes to individual wheels. Turning at an intersection crashes Half of all crashes occur at intersections. The main cause of these crashes, particularly for young provisional drivers, is a lack of experience and judgement in selecting safe gaps in streams of moving traffic. It is much better to wait for gaps in moving traffic that are larger, regardless of any impatient driver behind you. A learner driver should gain plenty of practice under the supervision of an experienced licensed driver at selecting safe gaps in traffic when entering or leaving a busy road.

Crashes when changing lanes and when merging or diverging The most common cause of young provisional licence holders being involved in vehicle crashes when changing lanes, merging or diverging is that they fail to check blind spots. blind spot blind spot

mirrors view

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

Drivers should check their side mirrors and also check blind spots by looking over their right or left shoulder before making a lane change, merging or diverging. However, some drivers often forget a blind spot check which can lead to a crash or a near-miss incident. Head-on crashes Head-on crashes on country roads can have devastating results. Young or new drivers in particular can lack experience in overtaking, and judgement at selecting safe gaps in the on-coming traffic where they can overtake. To reduce the risk of a crash, it is better to choose larger gaps in the on-coming traffic or wait until an overtaking lane becomes available, or not overtake at all. << see also sections on overtaking on pages 34 to 36, 38 to 39 and 54 to 56 >>

Safer Vehicles

Buying a car, whether it’s your first car or not, is a big responsibility. It is important that your car offers you good protection from injury in a crash – but it is also important that your car offers good protection to other road users, such as pedestrians, bicycle riders, motorcyclists or the drivers of other cars involved in a crash. Choosing a safe vehicle may be one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Driving a car that has recognised safety features and a high safety rating is an essential aspect in ensuring safer travel on our roads. Buying a safe car doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money or sacrifice the look you want. Below is a guide to help make buying a safe car easier.

Safety Ratings It’s important to check the safety rating before you buy a car. For new and near new vehicles ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) undertake crash tests on cars to gauge the level of occupant safety. New car safety is rated on a star system from one to five stars. Pedestrian safety provided by the car is also rated. For more information on ANCAP star-rated vehicles, visit www.ancap.com.au For second hand vehicles the Used Car Safety Ratings (UCSR) Buyer’s Guide provides safety ratings for popular vehicle models in Australia and New Zealand. The Used Car Safety Ratings list is derived from reports of actual on-road crashes and represents the ability of the car to protect its driver. The UCSR Buyer’s Guide (PDF) www.mylicence.sa.gov.au/safe- driving-tips/safer-vehicles provides you with the crash safety rating for used cars. You can use safety ratings systems to compare the safety of different brands or models when buying a car. Ensure safety features are given priority when you decide to buy. Even though a safer car will increase your safety in the case of an accident, it is your responsibility as a driver to maintain safe driving habits to prevent accidents occurring.

Buying a safe car Safety features that may significantly reduce the risk of death or serious injury if you are involved in a crash include:

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In Case of a Crash

If you are involved in a crash you must: ▲ Stop

▲ Assist

▲ Exchange your information

Stop 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.

Assist 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 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:

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

Report the crash to police

The driver of a vehicle involved in a crash in which a person is killed or injured must stop and render assistance. The driver must report to a police officer either at the scene or at a police station, not more than 90 minutes after the crash, for the purpose of undergoing alcohol and / or drug testing. Crashes that don’t result in death or injury must be reported to police as soon as possible and, except in exceptional circumstances, no later than 24 hours after the crash, unless the only property damaged is that belonging to the driver or where the damage is less than $3000.

Be prepared to provide:

What should you do if your vehicle needs to be towed away after a crash? Tow trucks are rostered to remove vehicles from crash scenes in the greater metropolitan area of Adelaide through the Accident Towing Roster Scheme. By law, only tow trucks operating within this scheme can attend these crashes. The tow truck driver must provide you with an Authority to Tow form. Read the entire form carefully before you sign it, and make sure you write the place where you want the vehicle taken - before you sign the form. The tow truck driver can provide you with advice but it is your right to decide where your vehicle is taken. Blood samples If you are injured in a crash and attend, or are admitted to hospital, a blood sample will be taken if you are 10 or older. The blood sample will be tested for alcohol and three drugs, THC (the active component in cannabis), Methylamphetamine (also known as crystal meth, speed or ice) and MDMA (ecstasy). Penalties will apply to drivers and riders who test positive for one or more of these drugs, or exceed the prescribed concentration of alcohol for their licence class.

Even if you are not trained in first aid, you can help by applying basic measures to clear a victim’s airway and control bleeding. While you wait for an ambulance, you can follow these simple guidelines:

Clear airway by:

Check breathing Check pulse Tilt head Lift jaw

Speeding and Inappropriate Travel Speeds

Within South Australia the maximum default speed limit outside a built-up area is 100km/h. The maximum default speed limit in a built-up area is 50km/h. Unless a road sign or a licence condition indicates otherwise, these are the maximum speeds at which you are allowed to drive. Driving above the speed limit is illegal, because it creates unacceptable safety risks. Travel speed affects both the risk of a crash happening and the severity of any injuries in a crash. Even small increases in vehicle speed significantly impact on road safety risks. Speeding can be compared to driving under the influence of alcohol. Every 5km/h increase in speed in a 60km/h zone is equal to an increase in 0.05 in BAC. Speeding and inappropriate travel speeds are estimated to directly contribute to around a third of fatal crashes on South Australia’s roads each year. Also, speeds just 5km/h above average in urban areas and 10km/h above average in rural areas are sufficient to double the risk of a casualty crash. Keep your speed down realise that you have to brake and at least another 20 metres to stop. At higher speeds, the distance will be even greater. In good clear driving conditions, you must drive within the posted speed limit however in certain circumstances, driving at the speed limit for that road can be dangerous. Conditions such as bad weather, heavy traffic, encountering children or pedestrians may require you to reduce speed to suit those road conditions. If you keep your speed down, you will have more time to avoid crashes and will reduce the seriousness of any injuries or damage. You may also save a life – possibly yours. You must only drive at a speed that would allow you to stop your vehicle within the distance that you can see ahead. Keeping a safe following distance The ‘following distance’ is the space between your vehicle and the vehicle immediately in front. This distance varies, depending on the speed you are travelling and the braking ability of both your vehicle and the vehicle in front.

The acceptable minimum following distance, which is considered reasonably safe, is the distance your vehicle will travel in three seconds. This distance – about eight or nine car lengths at 60 km/h – allows you time to glance at mirrors, signs, side roads and vehicles further ahead while maintaining a sufficient safety space should the vehicle ahead suddenly brake.

For a fit and alert driver, in good driving conditions, at 60 km/h it takes about ¾ of a second or 12 metres of travel for you to

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Alcohol, Drugs, Seatbelts & Distractions