1. Driving in the Interior
Safety Alert
No. 19
Dec 98
Committed to Safety
Driving in the Interior
Background
In a recent accident a contractor vehicle rolled over on a straight black top road at night time. This resulted in fatal injuries to the driver and serious injuries to the passenger. There was no indication that any other vehicle was involved in this accident.
Causes of the incident
It is believed that the main cause of this accident is the driver falling asleep at the wheel immediately
before the accident. At this time, the person driving the car had been on duty for more than 20 hours.
Factors which may have contributed to the accident are:
Excessive working hours.
Exceeding the speed limit of 80 km/h.
No Journey Management Plan for the return journey.
The vehicle speed limiter was found to have been tampered with.
The driver of the vehicle had no ROP license and therefore no PDO driving permit.
Actions to Prevent Recurrence
Strict compliance with Company instructions regarding driving and working hours must be enforced.
All drivers must observe posted speed limits.
All trips must be properly planned with direct Supervisors prior to departure.
Journey Management Plans must be filed without fail, and journeys must be monitored by the designated Journey Manager.
Speed limiters shall not be tampered with.
Only licensed and authorised drivers must be allowed to drive.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL ABOVE ACTIONS ARE ALREADY MANDATORY FOR PDO AND
CONTRACTORS.
ENFORCING THE EXISTING RULES IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ACHIEVE A GOOD
SAFETY PERFORMANCE.