TMAA News

ASSOCIATIONS SUPPORT EARLY INTERVENTION FOR LEARNER DRIVERS IN AND AROUND ROAD WORKSITES

The Traffic Management Association of Australia (TMAA) and its collaborative Associations and Organisations, RIAA, CCF, Roads Australia and AAPA are advocating learner drivers experience more theory and practical applications of ‘driving in and around road worksites’. This initiative was the brainchild of the collective EOs and CEOs of these organisations and the federal, state and territory governments have responded positively and pro-actively.

CCF National CEO Chris Melham, Roads Australia CEO Michael Kilgariff, RIAA General Manager Paul Robinson, AAPA CEO Carlos Rial, & TMAA EO Louise Van Ristell have lobbied the governments since late 2019 and their suggested program inclusions for learner driver education are: • Safety at Roadworks theory be embedded in the learner driver manuals/and be applied by qualified driving instructors. • Practical application with driving instructors (on site and in virtual sites). • All roadwork site speed signs, ahead signs, and slow down signs etc are understood as mandatory with penalties applying for non-compliance. • Symbolic signs, showing workers on foot, vehicles ahead etc warn drivers of people on roads and to be extra diligent and slow down. • Motorists must comply with the portable traffic lights, barriers and boom gates on roadwork sites and penalties apply for non-compliance.

• Signage recognition (eg 40 km ahead, workers on road etc). “With so many infrastructure projects planned across states and national jurisdictions, it is timely we emphasise the mandatory protocols for driving through and near worksites to ensure both driver and worker safety,” said TMAA EO Louise Van Ristell. “We feel it is paramount the addition of a learner driver ‘Safety at Roadworks’ education program is implemented in driver’s licensing, school programs and virtual training, both in theory and practice, for learner drivers across the country. The questions we have outlined above will go some way to starting this process,” she said. The TMAA has also launched its Your Speed is Our Safety Project which airs a three-part story regarding speeding and its consequences in and around roadwork sites, to further promote the message of Safety at Roadworks.

Watch the three-part story at: Part One - www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW flJmwZGBc&feature=youtu.be Part Two - www.youtube.com/watch?time_ continue=12&v=uB-VAg6nWwc Part Three - www.youtube.com/ watch?v=RfDraRjMxjw

For more details, please contact TMAA at tmaa@tmaa.asn.au or on 1300 798 772.