Australia Post is encouraging Australians to do their bit in the lead up to Christmas and help keep our posties and delivery drivers safe, as they ramp up to their busiest part of the year.
From the road to the front yard, posties and delivery drivers can often face unexpected safety risks, from the dog that hasn’t been secured, to drivers that zip out of their driveway.
Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Christine Holgate said the safety of staff was of paramount importance.
“This Christmas our posties and drivers will be hitting the road to help deliver a record-breaking Christmas, but we want them all to be home safe celebrating with loved ones at the end of it,” Ms Holgate said.
“Being safe everywhere, in everything we do, is about looking after our people. They’re not just our posties and drivers, they’re also our friends and family – and operate in all the far-reaching communities of our network.”
There were more than 370 incidents involving injuries caused by dogs in the 2019 financial year, and for the same period, more than two posties were injured in motorcycle accidents every workday.
One injury or near-miss is too many, so Australia Post is asking the public to be alert, slow down, and remove distractions when driving.
Ms Holgate said that over the 2019 financial year alone, there were more than 230 postie-related motor vehicle accidents across Australia, and that action needed to be taken to reduce that number.
“We make sure our posties undergo comprehensive safety training as well as have protective equipment, high visibility flags and clothing to make them easier to spot. Above all though, we rely on the entire community to help look after their safety,” Ms Holgate said.
“We’re asking drivers to slow down, toot their horns and be wary of posties and pedestrians by carefully checking all directions before reversing from their driveway.”
Australia Post has got some tips to help avoid accidents with its posties and drivers:
- Put your mobile phone out of reach when driving
- Slow down when approaching roundabouts
- Use your mirrors and check your blind spots for motorcycles and cyclists before turning or changing lanes
- When reversing out of your driveway, toot your horn and move slowly
- Keep your dog confined to your property
- Keep your dog on a leash when off your property
More than 10,000 posties across the country deliver to some 12.1 million physical addresses each business day. Posties spend most of their working days on the footpath or the road.
