SAFE VEHICLES Toolbox Talk SeptOct 2017 SAFE VEHICLES

SAFE VEHICLES Toolbox Talk Sept-Oct 2017

SAFE VEHICLES – A cornerstone in improving road safety • WA’s road toll has halved over the last 30 years while the population has doubled • Vehicle safety measures have helped reduced the road toll – vehicles are less likely to crash and if they do, safety features offer more protection • But there is still room for improvement Ø A 25% improvement in road safety if everyone changed out their vehicle to the safest vehicle in its class – be it used or new Ø A 40% reduction in death and serious injury if all new cars had safety features equivalent to the safest vehicle in its class

SAFE CAR RATING SYSTEM • Australia has a star rating for old and new vehicles – the more stars the safer the vehicle • New vehicle ratings are based on crash test results from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) and can be found at the new ANCAP Safety app or at www. ancap. com. au • Older vehicles are given a safety rating for their actual performance in crashes. The Used Car Ratings can be found at www. howsafeisyourcar. com. au

VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES – That help avoid a crash • Electronic Stability Control (ESC): Reduces the dangers of skidding or losing control when a driver over-steers. • Auto Emergency Braking (AEB): Can alert the driver to an imminent crash and help use the maximum braking capacity of the vehicle. • Antilock Braking System (ABS): Reduces the risk of skidding under heavy braking and allows the driver to maintain steering control. • Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA): Alerts the driver when they exceed the speed limit by activating audio and visual warnings. • Visibility: In most road conditions, a white vehicle is more visible. Driving with headlights on or installing daytime running lights also helps.

VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES – That protect occupants in a crash • Seatbelts: Three-point lap/sash belts offer better protection than two-point lap seat belts and should be installed in all seating positions. • Airbags: Enhance the protection provided by seat belts. The best protection in a frontal crash is achieved with a correctly worn seatbelt and an airbag. Seek front, side, curtain and knee airbags for maximum safety. • Head rests: Head rests help avoid whiplash in rear-end crashes. They should be fitted to both front and back seats. • Crumple zones: Modern vehicles protect drivers and passengers by using crumple zones to absorb crash energy. This means that vehicle absorbs the impact of the crash rather than the occupants. See the difference between a 1998 Toyota Corolla and 2015 model in this video: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=azrpgvb. OMq 4

KEEPING OUR VEHICLES SAFE Safety features can be negated if your vehicle is not in good working order. It is important your vehicle is checked, maintained and serviced regularly to ensure its is safe for you, your passenger and other road users. • Brakes: Check brake fluid levels and seek help if your brakes feel spongy, need to be pumped or pull your vehicle to one side. • Coolant and oil: Check levels are correct. • Lights: Check your lights are all working, the lenses are not cracked, and your headlights are correctly aligned.

KEEPING OUR VEHICLES SAFE • Steering: Seek help if your vehicle wanders, has excessive play in the steering or requires continual correction. • Windscreen wipers: Check that your windscreen is clean, the wiper bottle levels are correct and the blades are in good working order. • Tyres: Ensure your tyre tread depth is 1. 5 mm or more, tyre pressure is correct and there is no damage to the tyre carcass. Check the tread on your tyres with a Tyre Tread Depth Gauge available at the end of this presentation.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR VEHICLE SO IT CAN TAKE CARE OF YOU * Seek out safety features * Keep up with maintenance