Staff drive to stay alive

Employees of USQ Fraser Coast campus have embraced the Fraser Coast Chronicle’s Drive 2 Stay Alive campaign.

Fifteen USQ staff members have already signed a pledge which encourages safer driving habits following numerous deaths on Fraser Coast roads in the past few months. The organisers of the campaign aim to get at least 10,000 registrations.

Staff from the Fraser Coast campus often drive between Hervey Bay and Toowoomba, which is nearly an 800km round trip down the New England Highway.

USQ Fraser Coast Provost Professor Ken Stott said he was pleased that staff were keen to take the pledge as they were frequently on the road.
'This campaign reminds us that we have to constantly check our attitude to our own driving and to other road users,' he said.

'If we get that right we can certainly lessen our chances of getting into trouble. In order to drive safely we have to be professional in our approach and take it seriously.

'It’s my personal view that it is quite easy to acquire the technical skills to drive, but 90 percent of the problem stems from attitude.
“It is often from a poor attitude that problems arise.

'When things do happen on the road, for whatever reason, those who suffer are the loved ones and anything we can do to ease the burden is most welcome.'

Professor Stott said he did an advanced driving course during his early driving career, and although skills were important, so was patience.

'All these things have a greater impact on ability than just skills. My tip, in terms of speeding, is to get a car with cruise control and set it all the time – even when travelling in the 50km zones on the Esplanade in Hervey Bay.'