Redland City Council has a strong commitment to the safety of its employees on the roads both in their professional capacity and getting to and from work. As such its proactive approach to driver education has direct benefits not only for employees but the broader community.
Council has 1,000 employees and a fleet of 350 vehicles of all types, from cars and buses to trucks and excavators.
Andy Blacklock, Redland City Council’s Supply Chain Manager, identified the need for better ways to address driver education and safety for council employees. He has since been the main force behind the development of new initiatives through the RACQ and the Queensland Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety.
Council has joined forces with the RACQ to deliver a driver education program that has two components, a one day practical session and a self paced online e-learning component.
Redland aims for all staff to complete this program over the next two years. Feedback from the 140 staff who have undertaken the program to date has been very positive.
The full day practical provides instruction and direct feedback on individual driving abilities and helps to highlight particular driving habits that are often unconscious. Included in the day’s training is camera footage of drivers and their road vision that can be linked to car data such as car speed and braking. This data can then be played back to drivers through split screens to provide a total perspective on their driving performance.
The practical course focuses on building effective techniques and sensible attitudes for driving more safely in everyday situations.
The online e-learning component of the program reinforces the driver awareness and safety education by allowing self paced learning and driver knowledge tests. Program content can be readily updated and drivers can revisit the program at any time. The e-learning component is delivered through Council’s intranet and sits well with Redland City Council’s move towards self service training for employees through online e-learning modules covering topics from assertiveness training to time management.
Council’s commitment to driver education and safety has also included collaboration with the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety (CARRS-Q) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
This three year research program is aimed at improving vehicle fleet safety across different organisations.
About to enter its second year, the project has involved a survey of sample employees to identify their driving habits, perceptions of road safety, and experience of day to day driving conditions.
For further information contact Gerard Noon, Council’s Marketing and Communications Adviser, on (07) 3829 8726.
