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What happened?
A light vehicle with a single occupant (driver) left camp at 04:30am. It was still dark.
Approximately 2km (1.2 miles) into the journey, upon reaching a crest and travelling at almost 100km/hr (62mph), the driver noticed a black cow standing in the middle of the road approximately 50m (164ft) in front of the vehicle.
The driver slowed down and attempted evasive action. The vehicle struck the cow at a speed of approximately 75km/hr (47mph).
The driver was not injured. The front of the vehicle was significantly damaged.
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Why did it happen?
The driver was travelling before dawn to catch a plane departing at 07:45am in order to return home as early as possible.
Although travelling within the signposted speed limit, the vehicle was travelling too quickly for the conditions (i.e. darkness / low visibility; possible animals/ livestock on the road).
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What did they learn?
Implement journey management controls to limit travelling on the road outside of daylight hours (e.g. notification/approval to drive in hours of darkness; making travel arrangements / flight bookings to avoid road travel before dawn / after dusk).
Review options for limiting vehicle kilometres/miles travelled (e.g. transferring workers to/from airports on buses).
Reinforce the importance of driving to conditions and raise awareness of potential hazards (e.g. livestock on the road).
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Ask yourself or your crew
Do you drive outside of daylight hours when at work?
What extra controls are in place when you drive in the dark?
Is there a risk of livestock or animals on the road when you are driving? How do you manage these risks?
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What happened?
A light vehicle with a single occupant (driver) left camp at 04:30am. It was still dark.
Approximately 2km (1.2 miles) into the journey, upon reaching a crest and travelling at almost 100km/hr (62mph), the driver noticed a black cow standing in the middle of the road approximately 50m (164ft) in front of the vehicle.
The driver slowed down and attempted evasive action. The vehicle struck the cow at a speed of approximately 75km/hr (47mph).
The driver was not injured. The front of the vehicle was significantly damaged.
Why did it happen?
The driver was travelling before dawn to catch a plane departing at 07:45am in order to return home as early as possible.
Although travelling within the signposted speed limit, the vehicle was travelling too quickly for the conditions (i.e. darkness / low visibility; possible animals/ livestock on the road).
What did they learn?
Implement journey management controls to limit travelling on the road outside of daylight hours (e.g. notification/approval to drive in hours of darkness; making travel arrangements / flight bookings to avoid road travel before dawn / after dusk).
Review options for limiting vehicle kilometres/miles travelled (e.g. transferring workers to/from airports on buses).
Reinforce the importance of driving to conditions and raise awareness of potential hazards (e.g. livestock on the road).
Ask yourself or your crew
Do you drive outside of daylight hours when at work?
What extra controls are in place when you drive in the dark?
Is there a risk of livestock or animals on the road when you are driving? How do you manage these risks?
A light vehicle traveling at approximately 75km/hr (47mph) struck a cow standing in the road early in the morning. The driver was not injured, but the vehicle sustained significant front-end damage.
Original material courtesy of Safer Together (Australia)
To access the PDF and PowerPoint versions, please visit https://www.safertogether.com.au/resources/sharing-library/driving-collision-learning-event-bulletin
