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Chief Of Army: Safety Is Imperative
11 September 2007
Driving is a core enabling competency within the New Zealand Army. We are reliant on having skilled drivers in charge of well maintained and suitable vehicles, to meet our operational requirements.
By its very nature driving is dangerous. It is the most significant day to day risk faced by all New Zealanders, and by extension it is a significant risk faced by all Army personnel both in their personal and professional lives.
An indifference to driving not only compromises the safety of the driver, but also the safety of their colleagues. Our core value of comradeship demands that when driving we not only look after ourselves but we look after our mates in the vehicle as well and others that may be on the road as well.
The Master Driver’s campaign has been launched to remind us all of this fact, and to ensure we approach any form of driving with the same respect and professionalism as we do all our other core skills.
We can always improve on our skills – it is our aim to be the best in everything we do.
If we fail to take driving seriously we will not prepare adequately for the conditions we face when driving overseas. I require the Army to provide robust, realistic and challenging training within safety margins to prepare our drivers to operate in demanding conditions.
The focus of this campaign is on influencing behaviour and attitudes in order to create a safe driving culture within Army. We drive millions of kilometres a year without incident, but recent tragedies involving the deaths of soldiers in accidents are painful reminders of the inherent dangers in our jobs.
This campaign will stress a number of key safety messages. While the subject of driver safety may be familiar to us all, do not let that familiarity override the substance of the messages from the Master Driver.
I fully support this campaign. Those who disregard these messages will be held to account at unit and formation level. Ultimately the driving decisions are yours, and so are the consequences.
Every time you get behind the wheel these safety messages must be at the forefront of your mind. A skilled and professional soldier in the New Zealand Army would do nothing less to protect themselves, their comrades and the public.
This page was last reviewed on 14 September 2007 and is current.
