About 50 industry representatives attended the day that provided participants with the opportunity to test-drive 4X4 vehicles, study accident avoidance techniques and learn how to integrate safety considerations with fleet purchasing and equipment practices.

Participants were able to experience off-road handling of 4WDs – supplied by Sargent – on the purpose-built tracks at the Melbourne 4X4 complex. Participants revelled in the chance to put safe practices to the test in the difficult terrain of the 4WD course, with only a few mishaps involving a flat tyre and a broken side-step.

The Safety Field Day also saw delegates receive advice and guidance from some of the country’s leading road safety experts, including Professor Raphael Grzebieta, Chair of Road Safety at the NSW Injury Risk Management Research Centre at the University of NSW and President of the Australasian College of Road Safety. Dr Andry Rakotonirainy from the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety at the University of Queensland also addressed the attendees.

Prof. Grzebieta called for a manufacturing standard – commonly known as an Australian Design Rule or ADR – to be introduced in Australia to help strengthen vehicle roofs.

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He said that it was extremely important that vehicles had a ‘rollover crash-worthiness’ standard that would lead to stronger vehicle roofs.

“More than 250 Australians a year face the risk of serious injury or fatality as a result of rollover crashes,” Prof. Grzebieta told delegates.

“But because of the lack of a simple manufacturing ADR, even if you make your roof out of spaghetti, it is still legal.”

Prof. Grzebieta is part of a research team that is introducing a dynamic rollover crash testing procedure. He believes the procedure could help federal regulatory authorities formulate a lifesaving national rollover crash-worthiness design rule.

“We have standards for side impacts and frontal impacts, but not for rollovers – all because vehicle manufacturers do not want to strengthen their roofs.”

Dr Rakotonirainy, who has received national and international recognition for his work on context-aware computing and Intelligent Transport Systems, compared driver performance and behaviour in 4WDs and sedans.

The day included an in-depth look at the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) issue and driver behaviour in off-road locations.

APIA Safety Committee Chairman Mark Twycross said that APIA was disappointed 4WD vehicle manufacturer Toyota has continued to ignore calls from the sector to install ESC devices – which apply braking to individual wheels and greatly increase vehicle stability – in its LandCruiser and Hilux models.

“These vehicles are the workhorses of our industry, but Toyota still refuses to install these devices in them, despite regular appeals from us over the past four years, and studies showing that ESC can reduce roll-overs by as much as 50 per cent.”

Mr Twycross said “Although the pipeline industry has a strong safety record compared to other construction sectors, the adverse conditions in remote locations and the tendency of some drivers to exceed their capabilities means we are continually facing the threat of roll-over accidents.”

“While this will always be a risk, we have an opportunity to introduce measures to manage the risk, and we will work with pipeline owners and constructors, with vehicle manufacturers, and with state and federal authorities to improve safety,” he said.

APIA plans to take the Safety Field Day to other states over the next 12 - 18 months, and is considering introducing a formal APIA Training Centre for specialised off-road driving instruction.