Driving on NT Roads

Staying Safe

Let’s face it, driving in the NT is exciting! It is the freedom of the open roads and the challenging road conditions. But you are not a racing car driver and it isn’t what your work vehicle was made for. Pot holes, corrugations and wandering buffalo don’t make for good racing conditions. So if you do have racing car driver fantasies, leave them where they belong, as part of your dreams.

Unfortunately as the website http://transport.nt.gov.au/ tells us ‘road crashes are the most common cause of work-related fatalities, injuries and absences from work. In the Northern Territory, 32 per cent of work related deaths were traffic incidents.’

It is not all bad news, you can do something. As an employer you can put together a straight forward safe driving policy to protect your workers. As an employee, follow it to keep yourself safe. At Train Safe NT our safe driving policy is about these five things.

1. Preparation. Got it? Check! Working? Check!
2. Communication that works, always! Where are you? Phone home!
3. Laws, follow them. Don’t be a bloody idiot!
4. Alert and Assess. Stay on top of the conditions. Check out that river crossing. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Watch out for fatigue. Take mandatory scheduled breaks.
5. Respond and Report, in the unfortunate event of...

An important thing is to know your vehicle. It pays to get refresher training. There is always something new to learn or something to brush up on. Check out Train Safe NT 4WD courses. Or get in touch if you would like a copy of our safe driving policy. Hope to see you soon. Stay Safe!

Water Crossing can be dangerous, watch video and learn