Business Travel in Australia: Safe Route Planning and Roads to Avoid
If you have an upcoming out-of-town business trip, then you’re probably looking for ways to arrive at your destination reliably and on time. While some routes are fairly straightforward and safe, others could put you on the road for quite a long time—or expose you to some risks.
With Australia’s massive land size, it’s important not to underestimate the distance between towns. You could find yourself driving through remote highways and high-risk rural areas that may be hazardous if you’re not careful.
This is why planning a route with safety in mind isn’t just a recommendation; it’s a priority. From icy, unmaintained roads to a high density of wildlife crossing the road, there are many potential dangers you could face while driving across Australia.
If you’re looking to up your route planning game, then you’re in the right place. We’ll lay out the types of roads and conditions to be wary of while driving on Australian roads, and what you can do to minimise the risks for a smooth business trip.
Let’s jump right into it.
What Safe Route Planning Entails: 4 Things to Know
While your maps app may recommend a route to you in an instant, you shouldn’t solely rely on the route plotted in the app. There are many factors you have to consider before driving just any road—especially if you’re passing through long stretches of rural road.
From the weather to real-time road conditions, a lot of things can influence the general safety of a route. If you want to ensure your safety on the road, here are some core things to keep in mind while driving during your business trip.
1. Pick a Reliable Vehicle
If you expect to pass by mountainous roads or varied terrain (like dirt paths) to reach your destination, then your urban vehicle may not cut it.
It would be in your best interest to look into SUVs or more suitable vehicles to cover the distance between your place of origin to your intended destination.
In such cases, it may be worthwhile to look into hiring business car rentals for this short business trip. By doing so, you can choose a vehicle that actually matches the route you’re taking, instead of forcing your usual car to handle conditions it wasn’t built for.
A reliable hire vehicle also means fewer surprises on the road. Most reputable rental providers keep their fleets maintained and serviced regularly.
This means that you’re less likely to encounter issues mid-trip, which could be problematic. Plus, these cars are also insured, meaning you won’t have to shoulder the cost for damages if you purchase insurance as an add-on.
2. Consider the Weather and Real-Time Road Conditions
A few key considerations when planning your business trip route are the weather and road conditions you’ll encounter during the road trip.
Australia’s climate can vary drastically from city to city and month to month, and it’s important to keep an eye out for the weather conditions you’ll likely face to ensure that you and your vehicle are adequately prepared to handle such situations.
For instance, if you’re planning to drive past mountainous roads, it may be safer to hold off on driving your vehicle until the fog clears up or heavy rainfall subsides. Likewise, if flooding or storms are forecast along your route, then prepare to make detours or face road closures due to floodwater rising.
You can look up real-time weather updates through a local weather app or through the Bureau of Meteorology website and social media channels. If the conditions look risky, then consider going another route or finding another means of getting there. It’s better to be late than risk your life needlessly.
3. Discern the Maps Route
After picking a capable vehicle and checking the weather conditions on the way, the next thing to do is to plan your route effectively.
A maps app may recommend you to cut through some small roads, but it’s important to do more research on the roads if possible.
Some recommendations made by these apps could lead you to narrow backroads, unsealed stretches, or long rural segments with no lighting or phone reception. In other words, you could be putting your safety in jeopardy by solely relying on these route recommendations.
As this is the case, it’s always to tread on the safe side and stick with major highways and well-used roads—even if they may take longer. These roads tend to be safer due to being more frequently-used by the public. They also have more road safety infrastructure like signages and service stations that can serve your ride in a pinch.
4. Plan Fuel Stops and Service Gaps in Advance
You should account for your car running out of fuel if you’re driving a long stretch of road. Most cities have a few service stations speckled across the highway.
Plan your routing in a way that you can hit a service station and have room to reach a backup service station with fuel to spare. This ensures that you won’t be left stranded or worry about missing out on fuel if one stop is closed, out of service, or unexpectedly busy. This planning foresight can save you from a lot of stress during your business trip.
Dangerous Roads to Avoid in Australia
While the tips above can serve as effective guides to help you skirt past potential risks, there are some inherently dangerous roads in Australia that you should think twice before passing through.
These are some of the notable ones you should steer clear from as much as possible:
- Plenty Road, Victoria: This road is a top state crash hotspot because of its busy and dense traffic and multi-lane commuter artery.
- Hume Highway, New South Wales: A major freight and commuter corridor with heavy volume, meaning congestion and nose-to-tail crashes are quite common.
- Bruce Highway, Queensland: A long, high-speed route carrying huge regional traffic loads.
- Albany Highway, Western Australia: A key Perth arterial road running through busy commercial zones, so peak-hour merging and intersection crashes happen frequently.
- Marion Road, South Australia: A packed suburban main road near shopping and residential hubs.
- Sandy Bay Road, Tasmania: A busy Hobart strip with pedestrians, frequent turning vehicles, and short stop-start segments that bump up incident rates.
- Stuart Highway, Northern Territory: The Darwin end of a major highway with fast-moving traffic and regular congestion points.
By following these tips and avoiding these roads, you can ensure that your upcoming business trip will proceed smoothly with little to no risks. All the best in planning your upcoming business trip route!