Subzero Starts & Serious Safety: A Timely Yarn on Driving Smart

The mornings are getting colder, and subzero starts are creeping in. Vans are frosting over, black ice is waiting in the usual spots, and it’s the time of year when a slip—literal or otherwise—can change everything. So, it’s a bloody good time to talk about safe driving in the shearing industry.

Winter driving in Aotearoa isn’t for the faint-hearted.

Every year, rural roads see major crashes caused by frost, black ice, fog, and reduced visibility. Over two-thirds of NZ road deaths occur on rural roads, with winter months seeing a noticeable spike in crashes. Whether you're crossing the Maniototo, winding through the Waitaki, or wandering through the Mackenzie Basin—conditions can change in the blink of an eye.

We often focus on safety in the shed—gear, techniques, animal welfare, and team culture. But the bit we sometimes skip over? The drive to and from the job. And let’s be honest, that can be the riskiest part of the day.

If you’re driving a van loaded with your team, you're not just behind the wheel—you’re in charge of lives. The people sitting behind you are someone’s partner, someone’s kid, someone’s best mate. They’re not just workers. They’re our people. And it only takes a second for something to go horribly wrong.

Driving Tired? That’s Not Just Rough—It’s Dangerous

Early starts, long days, hard physical work. Sound familiar?

Driving after 8 hours on the handpiece and 10-12 hours in the shed isn’t just “part of the job”—it’s a real risk. If you’ve been awake for more than 17 hours, your reaction time drops to the same level as someone who’s over the legal alcohol limit. You don’t need a beer in your system to be a danger on the road. All it takes is fatigue.

One second of nodding off behind the wheel could mean never making it home. That’s not drama—that’s the reality.

And it’s backed by data:

• In 2023, fatigue contributed to 25 fatal crashes, 59 serious injury crashes, and 455 minor injury crashes in NZ.

• Being awake 17–19 hours has the same impact on driving as a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05%.

• Sleep-deprived drivers are twice as likely to crash.

You probably wouldn’t take your family on a cruise after 17 hours with no sleep or a dozen stubbies under your belt, would you? So why would we drive to or from work that way?

Just a Beer or Two? Still a Risk

We’re not trying to ruin your after-work wind-down. A cold one with the crew is one of life’s good things. But if you’re driving? Skip it.

Even one or two drinks is enough to dull your judgement—especially after a big day. Add that to cold roads, poor visibility, noisy vans, and general end-of-day brain fog, and you’ve got a recipe for something going pear-shaped.

And here’s the kicker:

• Alcohol and/or drugs contributed to 138 fatal crashes in NZ last year. That’s nearly 30% of all road deaths.

• Drivers aged 20–29 with a BAC of just 0.05% are 17 times more likely to be in a fatal crash.

• Most post-work drink-driving crashes involve low-level alcohol—not wasted, just slowed.

• The fallout? Insurance, ACC, court, jail time—or a lifetime of knowing someone didn’t make it home because you drove.

Country Roads, Black Ice & Tourists in Rental Cars

Let’s talk about the roads we drive. We’re not cruising six-lane highways here. We’re weaving across a patchwork of rural routes—some sealed, some not, most with more potholes than road.

• Black ice? It’s a ghost. You don’t see it until you’re sliding sideways through it—and by then it’s too late. It hides on shaded corners, bridges, and valley dips—right where you’d usually be changing gears or hugging a bend.

• Gravel roads and loose shoulders? One wrong line, one wheel over the edge, and suddenly you’re fish-tailing with a van full of crew and a hundred metres of ditch trying to suck you in.

• Tourists in rental vans? Don’t even get us started. Half of them are still figuring out which side the indicators are on. They hug the centre line, slam the brakes at every bend, and freeze at one-lane bridges like possums in the headlights. And that’s before they get distracted by a paddock of sheep and swing into your lane to take a photo.

• Then there’s the usual suspects: Stock trucks barreling round blind corners. Sheep that didn’t read the sign that said “No Exit”. Tractors the size of houses crawling at 20k with no mirrors. And deer—or the odd stag—that decide the middle of the road is the perfect place for a get-together.

  
  

One wrong move—and it’s all on.

Contractors: Your Drivers Are Carrying Your Most Valuable Asset

If you’re a contractor or running a team, here’s a thought—your drivers aren’t just transport. They’re responsible for getting your entire crew home safe, every single day.

They should be:

• Well-rested

• Not under pressure to “just get on with it”

• Trusted to say, “I’m not good to drive today”

• Paid fairly for the responsibility they’re carrying

Looking after your drivers is looking after your business. Because at the end of the day, gear can be replaced.A crew member? Not so easy.

What Can We Do?

• ✅ Make sure drivers are fit to drive—no shame in swapping out if you’re not sharp

• ✅ No beers if you’ve got the keys

• ✅ Don’t rush—leave time for slower, safer travel in crap conditions

• ✅ Check your tyres, brakes, lights, heaters, demisters

• ✅ If it feels sketchy, pull over. The job can wait. Lives can’t

• ✅ Speak up! If there's some dodgy driving going on, tell someone: your boss, the police

Final Word: The Aftermath No One Talks About

When incidents happen, every part of the puzzle gets scrutinised: Who was driving? Why were they fatigued? Had they been drinking? Was the van roadworthy?

These aren’t box-ticking questions—they’re life or death.

And if someone’s seriously hurt or killed? That burden doesn't just fall on the driver. It can land on the contractor and, in some cases, even the farmer whose name is on the job sheet.

ACC, police, WorkSafe—they don’t muck around. If a driver is fatigued or has been drinking, and an incident happens, it’ll get picked apart fast. So will the systems (or lack of) that let it happen.

That means having a bloody good yarn about who's driving, how they're doing, and whether the van’s fit for the road isn’t just a good idea—it’s bloody essential.

Look after each other. Speak up. Drive straight.