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the driver's handbook

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Certain behaviours are major contributors to high risk driving and<br />

crashes. These include:<br />

• speeding and inappropriate travel speeds for <strong>the</strong> road or<br />

wea<strong>the</strong>r conditions<br />

• driving after drinking alcohol or when impaired by drugs<br />

• not wearing seatbelts<br />

• driver distraction and inattention, including use of mobile<br />

phones<br />

• driver fatigue.<br />

These behaviours are discussed in more detail on <strong>the</strong> following<br />

pages and fur<strong>the</strong>r information can be found on <strong>the</strong> Department for<br />

Transport, Energy and Infrastructure road safety website:<br />

www.dtei.sa.gov.au/roadsafety<br />

Severe penalties apply to drivers and riders who commit road traffic<br />

offences, including those involving <strong>the</strong> above behaviours. In most<br />

cases, penalties increase in line with <strong>the</strong> seriousness of <strong>the</strong> offence<br />

and whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> offence is a first, second, third or subsequent one.<br />

The penalties include fines, demerit points, licence disqualification<br />

or even imprisonment in some cases, and are designed to send a<br />

clear message to drivers and riders about <strong>the</strong> dangers such risky<br />

behaviours pose for <strong>the</strong> safety of <strong>the</strong>mselves and o<strong>the</strong>r road users.<br />

Motorcyclists have a much greater risk of crashing than drivers of<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r types of vehicles. The information contained in The Driver’s<br />

Handbook should be read by motorcyclists.<br />

In this Road Safety section, you will find useful information about<br />

sharing <strong>the</strong> road, as well as hazardous driving situations, including<br />

country driving risks and how to keep your vehicle safe.<br />

You are encouraged to read <strong>the</strong> road safety pages carefully. They<br />

can help South Australian drivers and riders of all ages to drive in<br />

<strong>the</strong> safest ways possible and set <strong>the</strong> scene for lifelong safe driving<br />

behaviours and experience.<br />

In particular, young drivers have been shown to have a higher<br />

risk of crashing than older drivers. Those learning to drive for <strong>the</strong><br />

first time (as well as more experienced drivers) should study <strong>the</strong><br />

road safety and rules information in The Driver’s Handbook<br />

carefully as <strong>the</strong> learner’s permit <strong>the</strong>ory test is based directly on<br />

this information.<br />

The Driver’s Handbook 7

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