Workplace training and safety blog
Posted in Defensive Driving, Safety

Defensive driving in Darwin

What is defensive driving? A definition tells us that defensive driving is, "driving to save lives and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others." That sums it up well, even if it comes from the American National Standards Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operation, American Society of Safety Engineers on Wikipedia. Americans might drive on the right and we drive on the left but like us they live in a large, diverse landscape where they do a lot of driving.

Defensive driving is about developing skills that go beyond the basic mechanics of driving. It is about reducing risks through developing skills to anticipate dangerous situations and adverse conditions. We know that the unique Northern Territory environment has many adverse conditions. The nature of people turnover in the NT also means a lot of drivers are new to the NT driving experience. Defensive driving training makes sure that drivers are fully equipped to deal with things that can and often do arise. Situations include river crossings, sand, hills, rocks, animals, road trains, speed, heat, torrential rain….. The list goes on, let’s just say there is a lot to consider.

The good news is that the trainers at Train Safe NT have been driving these conditions throughout Alice Springs, Central Australia, Darwin and the Top End for close on 20 years. Train Safe NT trainers have tried and tested experience to pass on and know the rules and skills that can help to turn drivers into defensive drivers. The Train Safe Defensive 4WD training covers how vehicles respond in specific circumstances, vehicle management and maintenance, driving on unsealed road, dirt hills or slopes and driver visual focus, fatigue and attitude.

Behind the skills and experience of Train Safe NT training is accreditation. Does it matter if your training provider is accredited? The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) via their website http://www.asqa.gov.au/ explains that if a course is accredited it is nationally recognised, meets set standards and the training is listed on the national register. All makes for a safer bet to know that the training you receive is not hit and miss and it is backed by Australian Standards.