Road safety

Whether you are a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, cyclist or pedestrian, there are many things you can do to significantly reduce the likelihood of being injured or injuring another person on Victoria's roads.

Speed

Research shows that even a small decrease in speed significantly reduces the likelihood of a crash. If a crash does occur, slower speeds limit the severity of injuries.

Several factors increase the risk and severity of crashing when speeding. These include:

• less time to notice and react to potential hazards
• a higher likelihood of losing control of your vehicle
• an increase in the distance required to stop your vehicle.

Alcohol and drugs

Alcohol and drugs can greatly impair your reaction time and ability to safely judge your speed and surroundings.

If you have been drinking, feeling sober is not a safe indicator of whether or not you are under the legal limit.

Drugs and driving

Drug use can drastically impair driving ability and increase risk of crashing.

If you are taking prescription drugs, check with your doctor that it is still safe to drive.

Fatigue

You do not need to fall asleep at the wheel to crash. Fatigue can seriously impair your ability to drive safely, well before you nod off.

Often drivers do not realise when they are too tired to drive. Avoid driver fatigue, especially on long journeys, by taking the following steps:

• get plenty of sleep before a long drive
• take regular rest stops, and when on a break take a short walk or stop for refreshments
• make accommodation plans before leaving if you think you may need to stay somewhere overnight
• share the driving with a travelling companion
• take extra care when driving between midnight and 6am as during these hours your body is most at risk from fatigue
• limit your speed on long drives.

Mobile phones

Using a mobile phone whilst driving distracts your attention from the road and prevents you from maintaining proper control of your vehicle.

It is illegal in all Australian states and territories to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving. This includes:

• talking
• texting
• playing games
• taking photos or videos
• using any other function on your mobile phone
• holding the body of the mobile phone in your hand.

Using a hand held mobile phone is also illegal when your vehicle is stationary but not parked, e.g. when you're stopped at traffic lights.

Drivers who break this law in Victoria face an on-the-spot fine and incur four demerit points.

Learner, P1 and P2 drivers are not permitted to use a hand-held or hands-free mobile phone while driving.

Hands-free kits

It is illegal to use a hands-free phone whilst driving if it causes you to lose proper control of your vehicle. The penalty is a significant fine and demerit points.

Although a hands-free device can reduce the physical effort to make and receive calls, it does not necessarily make phone use safer while driving. Consider the following suggestions if you must talk on a hands-free phone whilst driving:

• make sure the hands-free function is set up and working before you start driving
• keep conversations short
• do not engage in complex or emotional conversations
• explain to your caller that you are driving and arrange a better time to speak with them
• end the call if the call is distracting you from driving.

Seatbelts

In a crash, most injuries to car occupants are caused by contact with the steering wheel, dashboard, windscreen and the car's roof and sides.

Seatbelts have proven to help prevent or limit these types of injuries in the majority of crashes. Research has shown that wearing a properly adjusted lap and shoulder seat belt reduces the risk of serious or fatal injury by half.

Even sudden braking or cornering can cause severe injuries to unrestrained passengers. Lap and shoulder belts should be available in all seating positions in the vehicle, including the centre rear seat.

Before driving off

Take a minute to ensure that all your passengers are wearing their seat restraints correctly.

It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that all children under 16 years of age are wearing an approved seat restraint. Help children learn about the importance of seatbelts by wearing yours on every trip, however short.

Child restraints

Drivers are responsible for making sure all passengers are wearing seat belts or child restraints correctly.

Everyone travelling in a motor vehicle must be restrained by using either a child restraint, a booster seat or an adult seat belt that is properly adjusted and fastened.

The type of restraint to be used depends on the person's age and size.

• Children under 6 months of age must travel in a rear facing child restraint.
• Children aged 6 months to under 4 years must travel in either a rear facing or forward facing child restraint.
• Children aged 4 years to under 7 years must travel in either a forward facing child restraint with an inbuilt harness, or a booster seat.
• Children aged 7 years to under 16 years must travel in either a booster seat or use an adult seatbelt.
• People 16 years and over must be restrained by an adult seat belt.

Visit the VicRoads website(opens in a new window) for more information on selecting the right child restraint.