Know your driving and non-driving responsibilities

We must appreciate and take ownership of the responsibility we have for ensuring our own and others’ safety on the road.

Distractions

You should avoid distractions when driving.

Anything which causes you to take your eyes off the road, for example using a hand-held or even a hands-free telephone whilst driving, will distract you from the maximum concentration required to be fully in control of your vehicle and could mean the inability to take avoiding action in an emergency.

Remember, even at 50 kilometres per hour you are travelling at almost 14 metres per second.

Excessive and Inappropriate Speed

Excessive and inappropriate speed can cause collisions:

*Remember that both your thinking and braking distances increase at higher speeds, thereby increasing your overall stopping distance.

*Inappropriate speed means a speed which in itself may not be excessive but would be for the given circumstances.

*Don’t forget inappropriate can also mean too slow, where you hold up traffic unnecessarily and cause impatience and irritation to following drivers.

Non-driving Responsibilities

When you are not driving, even when you are not in a vehicle, you still have responsibilities.

Do not call people on their mobile phones when you know they are driving.

Do not put unnecessary pressures on people before or during a journey.

If you are responsible for other drivers’ work schedules, make sure they have enough time to complete those schedules safely.

Remember, you could still be partly responsible for serious road incidents when not in the vehicle.

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