Traffic control operations aim to optimise the traffic experience on Melbourne and Australian roads. But how does this seemingly โsimple jobโ earn the title of Road Hero? Read on and you will learn why.
The Traffic Control Road-Heroโs Mission
If a traffic control officer had a Hollywood-movie introduction, it would be with James Earl Joneโs voice saying:
- They maximise the safe and efficient use of roads.
- They minimise the adverse effects of repetitive congestion or risk incidents on the roads.
- They give us impactful information to help us make better road-use judgements.
- They reduce our travel stress.
- They give extra, professional attention to โpriority road usersโ, e.g. ambulances.
Doesnโt that sound like a phenomenal job? It certainly does to us! Can you imagine the chaos without these road heroes quietly getting their impactful work done?
How The Traffic Control Officer (TCO) Operates
The safety-first approach taken by TCOs informs all action plans designed to decrease road upheavals and threats to body and life. Our TCOsโ highest priority is the preserving of lives and the avoidance of severe injuries due to accidents on the roads.
They operate traffic control Melbourne plans on the following assumptions:
- Humans err; therefore, regardless of safety measures in place, the human factor can cause an accident in the most unlikely circumstances.
- Human physiology is easily injured and has low tolerances for degrees of applied forces before injuries occur.
- A safety-first approach considers all possibilities and aims to reduce the amount of force experienced when an accident occurs, e.g. reduced driving speeds.
- Safety on our roads is a shared responsibility that includes planners, designers, operators, managers and users.
The Four Pillars Of Safe Traffic Control
- Road designs and control should make all aspects of a journey predictable, self-explanatory and inspire safety, e.g. speed reduction and no sudden swerving across lanes to exit a highway due to poor signage.
a) Accident impacts should have pre-existing contingencies in place to prevent death or severe injury. - Vehicle speeds should be linked to the death and severe injury risk based on human physiological tolerances.
- Vehicle designs should include features and technology that reduce accident risks for cars, pedestrians, et al.
- Every road user must be alert, know the road rules, obey the road rules and always choose safe behaviour options.
Conclusion
Road safety is a dynamic industry, and innovative safety and efficiency road operating systems are regularly being brought to the table. Intelligent technologies, as in all industries, shows great promise for even safer roads going forward.
Has this inspired you to join the road heroes club?
Book a traffic control course in Melbourne today and help save lives!
