A speeding driver who killed two workmates while changing a song on his iPod has avoided a jail sentence.

Michael Wayne Gill, 28, rolled a four-wheel-drive towing a trailer full of building materials on the Stuart Highway, in the outback north of Coober Pedy, in May 2010.

He was travelling at between 111 and 123 kilometres per hour at the time.

The District Court was told he failed to notice how quickly he was gaining on a van in front of him because he was using his iPod and lost control after swerving to avoid a collision.

Two of Gill's colleagues, who were not wearing seatbelts, died when they were thrown from the vehicle.

Prosecutors urged the court to jail Gill after he was found guilty of two counts of death by dangerous driving.

In sentencing, Judge Gordon Barrett said while Gill had been speeding, his lack of attention was the primary cause of the crash.

"It seems you took your eyes off the road twice as you approached the van," he said.

"You braked and veered to the right to avoid the van.

"I found your driving to be dangerous in that you had allowed yourself to be distracted by your iPod.

"Although you were travelling at over the speed limit, I found there were no other aggravating features of your driving."

Suspended sentence

Judge Barrett said Gill had written to the victims' families and had always accepted responsibility for his driving, even offering to plead guilty to lesser charges of aggravated driving without due care.

"You have been devastated by the loss of your two work colleagues," he said.

"It is clear that you've always felt great remorse about the consequences of your driving.

"You are perfectly conscious of how serious this offence is."

In considering whether to jail Gill, Judge Barrett suggested the community would be better served to have him rehabilitated and treated for post-traumatic stress disorder outside of the prison system.

He suspended a prison sentence of four years and seven months and placed Gill on a $500 three-year bond.

Gill was also banned from driving for 10 years.