Getting to know your vehicle
Driving your QFleet vehicle is about more than just travelling from one place to another. It is also understanding the vehicle you lease and drive is a high-value asset that should be properly managed, maintained and operated.
Vehicles used for work purposes are considered a workplace under Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) legislation and, therefore, obligations associated with ensuring the safe operation and use of a vehicle apply regardless of the operating environment. For example, WHS responsibilities will extend to situations such as vehicles operated on private premises, shopping centre carparks, factories, farms, mine sites, or off-road.
As a driver of a QFleet vehicle, you play an important role in maintaining its condition, including ensuring it is safe and serviced regularly.
New vehicle models are added to the fleet frequently and come equipped with new technology and features with which you might not be familiar. You and your employer must ensure you are familiar with all the features of a new vehicle and can operate it competently.
It is important to familiarise yourself with how to operate the vehicle before you drive it.
New vehicle features can include:
- Unfamiliar refuelling requirements—e.g. diesel passenger vehicles
- Recharging electric vehicles—e.g. plugging-in and unplugging vehicle chargers, and switching power on to recharge
- Autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and other active safety technologies
- Reversing and parking cameras
- Space saver spare wheels/no spare wheel
- Keyless ignition systems
- Electronic or foot-operated parking brakes
- Automatic engine idle stop
- Indicator controls or headlight controls on either side of the steering column
- Automatic headlights and windscreen wipers
- Hill-start and reverse parking assist
- Steering column paddles
- Regenerative breaking
- Multimedia and communication technology.
Under WHS legislation, all people in a workplace have obligations to ensure safety. Consequently, employers have an obligation to provide information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure the health and safety of their employees and others.
Employees have a responsibility to be familiar with a vehicle and ensure they operate the vehicle in a safe manner. If you require information, instruction or training and education, you should raise the issue with your manager or WHS officer.