Sessions

2. Sessions • Session One - The Assessment Process • Session Two - Roadcraft • Session Three - System of Vehicle Control

3. Session One The Assessment

4. Assessment Process Seven Components: • Legislation and Policy • Vehicle Inspection and Check • Raising and Lowering Cabins • Cabin Drill • Vehicle Specifications • Pre Drive Drill • Drive.

5. Legislation and Policy • Written paper covering aspects of Chief Officers SOP’s and State Legislation • Closed book

6. Vehicle Inspection and Check • External Inspection of Vehicle • Vehicle Check • Able to use check sheet for assessment

7. Raising and Lowering Cabins • Describe safety considerations • With assistance raise and lower cabin

8. Cabin Drill • Identify and describe the function of all gauges, switches, instruments, controls and levers in the cabin of the vehicle • Should follow a set pattern

9. Vehicle Specifications • Dimensions • Type of fuel • Turbo charger • Transmission • 4WD / AWD System • Braking systems • Safety Systems

10. Drive • Demonstrate defensive driving skills whilst driving a CFA vehicle for a period of approximately 30 minutes in varying traffic conditions in or near their normal response area • The vehicle must be operated and manoeuvred on all types of road and other conditions, according to the system of vehicle control and CFA policy

11. Automatic ‘Not Yet Competent’ • Intervention • Disobey Direction • Collision • Failure to Give Way • Excessive Speed • Stop at Dangerous Position • Fail to Stop • Other Dangerous Action

12. Session Two Roadcraft How we Drive Vehicles

13. What is Roadcraft? Roadcraft “Improving the skill and safety of your driving so that you can make the best use of road and traffic conditions”

14. Benefits of Driver Education • Safety First Culture • Understanding of Legislative and CFA Policy • Reduces wear and tear on mechanical components • Reduces mechanical damage • Increases confidence for drivers and passengers • Provides additional education than just getting a licence • Creates a safer community

15. Expectations of Drivers CFA drivers must: • Have a commitment to safe progressive driving • Understand and apply appropriate driving techniques • Concentrate and remain calm under all circumstances • Understand and apply State Legislation and CFA policy • Drive to the Hendon “System of Vehicle Control”

16. Progressive Low-Risk Driving “The ability to drive a vehicle under varying conditions in a progressive manner despite the actions of other drivers”

17. Are You A Good Driver? A good driver: • Maintains and prepares their vehicle • Has an understanding of the vehicle and it limitations • Has an understanding of own limitations • Drives to a system • Communicates with other road users • Concentrates on the task of driving • Continually assesses and responds to the ever changing conditions • Has above average driving skills

18. Good Drivers! • Avoid causing collisions • Avoid becoming involved in collisions caused by other drivers

19. Why Do Drivers Have Collisions? • Lack of concentration • Lack of observation • Attitude • Not driving to a system • Affected by • Alcohol • Drugs • Personal issues • Lack of sleep

20. Road Toll

21. Road Toll

22. Types of Collisions in Victoria • Rear end collisions 28% • Single vehicle hit stationary object 15% • Collisions at intersections 14% • Collisions occurring in car parks 11%

23. CFA Collisions Number of collisions / incidents for 2010/2011 • Total = 225 • Number at fault to CFA = 182 • Total cost to CFA = $700,000

24. Driving Plan “A really good driver will formulate their driving plan on the correct assessment of the ever changing scene ahead and to the rear of their vehicle. They should have a deliberate and calculating temperament, able to make driving decisions without hesitation in a methodical manner at any moment. All decisions must be based on the principle of safety for others as well as themselves”

25. Driving Plan Drivers must realise driving plans and decisions are made on a combination of: • What you can see • What you cannot see • Possible circumstances that may reasonably be expected to develop

26. Driving Plan Your driving plan will be affected by: • Concentration • Observation • Attitudes and Behaviours • Alcohol, Drugs and Medications • Personal Issues • Fatigue

27. Concentration “The full application of mind and body to a particular endeavour, to the complete exclusion of everything not relevant to that endeavour”

28. Concentration Can you concentrate on more than one task at a time?

29. Observation “A good driver realises that it is not enough to merely see every detail in the road scene; they must assess the value of what they see, and upon that value, formulate their driving plans”

30. Observation • Who has the greater peripheral vision? • Males or Females? • Why do men have more collisions at cross roads than women? • Why do women hit stationary objects more than men?

31. Attitude / Behaviour • Attitude and Behaviour may or may not be controllable actions • Many drivers have a positive attitude towards road safety; however they continue to break the laws due to their behaviour/s • Good drivers have a positive attitude and demonstrate behaviours by always complying with the law.

32. Affected by Alcohol Alcohol will: • Reduce your ability to do more than one thing at a time • Make it hard to concentrate on your driving • Slow down your reaction time • Make you feel more confident • Affect your vision • Make simple tasks more difficult • Relax you, causing you to fall asleep

33. Factors Affecting BAC Level • How much alcohol you consume • The period of time that you are drinking • Your weight • Time since eaten a meal • Your level of fitness • The state of your liver • Regular drinker or social drinker • Male or Female • Mood.

34. How Much Can I Drink? Average Male – No more than two standard drinks in the first hour and one standard drink an hour after that. Average Female – No more than one standard drink each hour. • A standard drink contains 10 grams of Alcohol.

35. Affected by Drugs/Medicine Drugs/Medicines can: • Cause drowsiness • Affect your mental alertness • Affect your co-ordination Always read warning labels

36. Affected by Alcohol or Drugs! Section 49 Road Safety Act 1986 A person is guilty of an offence if he or she – drives a motor vehicle or is in charge of a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or of any drug to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the motor vehicle. Remember: “If you drink then drive, you’re a bloody idiot”

37. Personal Issues • Personal issues affect all drivers from time to time • These usually occur as a result of issues at home or work • By thinking about these issues whilst driving, your concentration level will be greatly affected.

38. Fatigue Driver fatigue is a major contributor towards the road toll Fatigue can happen when you - • Have not had enough sleep • Been driving too long without a break • Are driving at times when you are normally asleep

39. Fatigue Warning Signs • You are persistently yawning • You start to drift across the lane • Your eyes close or get fuzzy • Trouble keeping your head up • You can’t remember the last few kilometres • You find yourself day dreaming • Variations in vehicles speed

40. Lack of Sleep • Being awake for 17 hours is the equivalent to being .05 • Being awake for 24 hours is the equivalent to being .10

41. Perception Response Time (PRT) The time from when a driver has detected an immediate hazard and requires an emergency response, to when their vehicle first responds

42. Perception Response Time The average person has a: • PRT of 1.5 seconds when not affected by alcohol or drugs • PRT of 2.5 seconds when affected by alcohol or drugs

43. Perception Response Time PRT changes according to many factors: • Urban or Rural environment • Day or Night • Straight or curved road • Type of braking system • Use of ‘set-up’ technique • Responding to more than one hazard • Location or angle of hazard

44. Perception Reaction Time “From detection threshold to when a driver first moves their foot or hands” Can you catch the pen?

45. How Fast Are You Going? • At 50 kph – you travel at 13.8 metres per second • At 60 kph – you travel at 16.7 metres per second • At 80 kph – you travel at 22.2 metres per second • At 100 kph – you travel at 27.8 metres per second.

46. Why Lower the Speed Limit? If you hit a pedestrian at: • 50kph, there is a 30% chance that the person will die • 60kph, there is a 70% chance that the person will die REMEMBER TO – “Wipe off 5”

47. Hang Back • Always apply the 2 second rule when travelling behind another vehicle • When driving a heavy vehicle, this distance should be doubled • When the road is wet, double these distances again. • When the brake light appears, the vehicle ahead has started to slow down

48. Communication • Good drivers communicate their intentions to other road users in a clear and unambiguous way • We communicate to other drivers by using: • Signals • Warning horn • Hand signals • Head movements / eye contact

49. Communication • Do not rely on other drivers responding to your signals • Do not rely on other drivers’ signals • If your signal may confuse, consider giving it late • A warning horn can only be used to warn other road users or animals.

50. Steering • The “System of Vehicle Control” promotes the use of “pull-push” steering If done correctly: • Two hands on steering wheel at all times • Less effort is required • Smoother steering • Hands always return to correct position • Greater control of vehicle