Safe System for road users

The safe system approach is about:

1. Recognising that everyone makes mistakes that could occasionally result in a crash

While we should all try to reduce the mistakes we make, some crashes will still happen.

We cannot completely eliminate people making mistakes. But we can all do better to understand the things that can prevent crashes from resulting in death or serious injury. This will help us make better choices.

You can make choices that reduce the likelihood of a mistake or increase your safety if something happens. As a road user you can choose:

• to buy the safest vehicle you can afford
• the safest way to travel on your journey
• to travel on roads that are the safest and be aware of what roadside hazards are
• to travel at a safe speed for the road and conditions
• to give road use the respect and attention it deserves
• to think ahead and leave yourself enough time for your journey – even short ones
• to share the road safely with others
• to be well rested before starting your journey.

2. Accepting the physics

The human body won’t stand up against the forces that happen in some crashes and we damage easily. No one is bulletproof.

3. Good transport system design so all the elements work together

You’re one important part of a bigger transport system. You need to understand the following things:

Roads and roadsides

You need to know how to identify the safest road and roadside environment for your journey. Go to www.kiwirap.co.nz to find out about the built in safety of the roads you’re travelling on.

You need to know that different parts of our roads provide different levels of safety. Some roads and road surfaces are designed for faster speeds than others. Roadside hazards like trees, ditches, poles and narrow shoulders can increase risk at higher speed. Intersections can be dangerous, as can roads without a median barrier. Armed with that knowledge you can adjust your driving to the conditions and take extra care on higher risk roads.

Choosing a vehicle

You should know how to identify and choose the safest vehicle you can afford. Either www.ancap.com.au or www.rightcar.govt.nz can show you the safety ratings for vehicles.

The vehicle you choose is there to protect you if there’s a problem. It needs to protect you from forces that are more than your body can cope with. The safer your car, the more chance you’ll have of surviving a serious crash.

The following vehicle features give you the best chance of survival. Look out for them when purchasing your next vehicle:

• Electronic stability control (ESC) and Automated Braking Systems (ABS) may help you regain control of your vehicle in loss of control situations
• Front, side and curtain airbags will protect you in head-on and side-impact crashes.
• Restraints – correctly fastened - will absorb some of the crash forces
  

Also, you should regularly check the safety of your vehicle. Don’t just wait for your next WoF. It only takes a few minutes to check your tyre tread and pressure, oil, water, lights, brakes, cooling systems.

A safe speed

You should always choose the safest speed for the road and conditions.

The speed limit and a ‘safe speed’ may differ. You need to adjust your speed to the conditions including weather, the road you’re on, the vehicle you’re driving, traffic conditions and proximity of other road users. Also take into account your level of driving experience and your state of mind; always allow plenty of time to get to your destination so you don’t have to rush.

Your behaviour

You should know how to drive in a way that you are always alert to all of the things going on around you and to adjust your driving to suit.

You need to give driving the respect and attention it deserves. Always follow the road rules when in charge of a vehicle. Plan to have enough rest beforehand driving so that you drive fresh, because fatigued driving leads to poor perception, slower reflexes, reduced concentration and judgment on the road.

Alcohol and some medications (even legal ones) impair your driving ability for much the same reasons.

Planning ahead

You should know how to plan your trips and allow time for breaks and delays.

Allow enough time to get to your destination safely and work out in advance where you’ll take breaks on long trips.

4. Shared responsibility

We need to meet each other half way. You do your bit as a road user and everyone who works in the transport sector will be doing their bit to make the roads safer too. You can read more about what the transport sector ‘system designers’ are doing.

What does a safe system look like?

New Zealand is working to create a Safe System. This is a road system where people are who are alert and compliant with the road rules can have confidence that that they would be protected from death and serious injury in a crash. To get to a Safe System, we need safer

• roads and roadsides to make them more predictable and forgiving of mistakes – their design should encourage appropriate road user behaviour and safe speeds
• speeds – both the limits so that they suit the function and level of safety of the road, and the road users who understand and comply with speed limits and drive to the conditions
• vehicles so that they help prevent crashes and protect road users from crash forces that cause death or serious injury
• road use, so we are all skilled and competent, alert and unimpaired, comply with road rules, choose safer vehicles, take steps to improve safety and demand safety improvements.

It will take a decade to create a road system with this level of safety built in, and it will only happen if everyone who affects the safety of the system plays a part. We will start with the parts of the system that have both the highest traffic volumes and highest crash risk.