During the Festive Season many Australian’s travel long distances on the road to visit family and friends, or for holidays.
This Festive Season drivers are urged to stay safe on our roads, taking note of the key risks involved with driving during the holidays period.
Before your team head away on holidays please take the time to prepare and deliver this insightful tool box talk with them. Please also share it with your clients – let’s make sure everyone gets home safely these holidays.
The Festive Season, in particular, incurs:
- increases in road travel
- longer travel distances
- more common travel in rural areas
- increased police presence, and
- higher travel offence penalties
Festive Season crashes are more likely to be:
- in rural locations
- in high speed zones
- single vehicle crashes
- in the early morning hours (3am-5am)
Crash Statistics
Over the past decade, form 2008-2017, 396 people lost their lives on Australian roads during the Festive Season.
Tips for Staying Safe
- Driving safely begins with your car…
- If you plan to drive long distances, it is ideal to get your car serviced within the weeks proceeding.
- Before leaving on your journey, make sure you undertake basic vehicle checks including: tyres, windscreen wipers, belts and hoses, filters, oil, battery, and lights.
- Plan how you are getting to and from your destination, take the time to become aware of unfamiliar roads, traffic can be unpredictable so allow for additional time.
- Allow plenty of travel time and allow for rest breaks, be sure to take regular breaks if you are driving for more than two
hours. - Be aware of the symptoms and effects of driver fatigue, don’t let yourself drive if you are feeling tired.
- Stay focused on driving, do not get distracted.
- Take note of the environment and the weather, and drive to the conditions, this means watching out for unpredictable
weather and panning accordingly. - Wear your seatbelt, an ensure all your passengers are wearing their seatbelt.
- Ensure that all objects within the vehicle are restrained, as loose objects can become projectiles.
- Always travel at the speed limits and do not speed. During the Festive Season, many of us can be in a hurry, but you
need to make sure that you are still driving safely. - Recognise your mood, and any situations which are likely to alter your mood, and therefore your driving. Avoid driving
while emotional. - If you are drinking, don’t drive.
NRSPP Festive Season Toolbox Talk
This Tool Box Talk Package is designed to provide Team Leaders/Managers and Facilitators with the required resources and information to conduct a tool box safety talk about the Festive Season to a group of employees within the organisation.
The National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) Tool Box Talks are an effective and cost-efficient way to communicate information and knowledge about work driving safety, health and safety and operational issues within a workplace.
A Tool Box Talk should ideally take approximately 15-20 minutes.
The package contains:
- A generic overview of Tool Box Talk Discussion including a step by step process to assist team leaders/managers and facilitators to lead a tool box talk discussion
- Aid for the promotion of discussion
- Topic background information and fact sheet
- Discussion prompt sheet
- Participant attendance record sheet
- Participant self-assessment sheet
- Discussion review sheet
- Festive Season Poster
- Supporting PowerPoint slides
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