Truckers Need To Improve Accident Prevention
We’ve been seeing an increase in accidents involving semi-trucks lately. We know truckers take safety extremely seriously and are even safety certified, but we can’t speak for the driving habits of everyone in the industry. Overturned trucks can block lanes for hours and cause frustrating traffic jams! Also, if you’re the one involved in the accident any damage done to your truck and trailer could take weeks, maybe even months to repair, putting you out of work until it’s fixed, and the cost of fixing it won’t be cheap.
Also, these accidents are extremely dangerous to your own life and the lives of others around you. Semi-truck accidents account for an 8th of all traffic deaths, so please consider our safety tips to learn how to avoid wrecks.
How To Avoid Major Wrecks
Be attentive when you drive. If you drive tired then that’s the equivalent of driving drunk. Make sure that your rig is comfortable enough for you to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night so you’ll feel refreshed and alert. If you start to feel tired and need a break, then take one.
Put your cell phone and other distracting items away. Your texts, FaceBook, Snapchat, or other fun phone activities can wait until you’ve come to a safe and complete stop. Also, put the newspapers and books away. When you read while driving your eyes are off the road for an extremely long time. If you get bored while driving, consider taking a quick break to do something fun or listen to an entertaining podcast.
Slow down! Not only does speeding burn your fuel, but it makes you drive dangerously. Other cars around you don’t have enough time to anticipate your moves, and you might not have enough time to come to a stop. Plus, how many times have you seen a truck on its side from taking a curve or turn too fast?
Try not to make any sudden movements. Slow and steady is the key to driving safely. Don’t suddenly change lanes, give other cars enough time to realize that you need to come over. This, of course, involves using your blinkers to show other drivers your intentions. Accelerate slowly and also come to a stop slowly. If someone is tailgating you don’t want them to slam into the back of your trailer.
Give yourself enough room away from other vehicles. You don’t want to ram a car if it has to come to a sudden stop. Keep an eye out for other trucker’s as well. They take up more space and have more momentum than cars.
Even though most truckers are outstanding drivers who take their job seriously, you just don’t know how much training other driver’s around you have had or how much sleep they got the night before.
When it’s raining, icing, snowing, foggy, and more, slow down even more. Inclement weather makes roads slippery, making it harder for heavy trucks to slow down. Plus, if it’s hard for you to see then that means it’s hard for other drivers to see your truck!
Don’t engage with people who have road rage around you. For whatever reason yuppies in their little cars can’t handle being behind a truck and they dangerously tailgate and speed around them. By engaging in their anger they could cut you off or lead to rash decisions. Also, while you’re busy flipping them the bird or yelling at them your eyes will be off the road.
Don’t skimp out on daily inspections and routine maintenance checks. Make sure all of your tired and gauges are working. Make sure your brakes are working, check all of your lighters and blinkers, and more. A properly functioning truck is a safe truck.
Keep on Safely Truckin’
Don’t get added to the wreck statistics, keep yourself and others around you by being a safe driver. Anything can happen, even drivers who are on the road for 20 years can get in a major accident before they retire, so be alert, don’t drive distracted, and be aware of other vehicles around you.
For more trucking tips visit TruckLogics.com and share your thoughts about driver safety in the comment section below. We thank you for your dedicated service and safe safety practices.
