Breaking News: 5 Safety Tips For Truck Drivers On The Road
Breaking News: 5 Safety Tips For Truck Drivers On The Road
The average societal cost of a car accident is $4.8 billion, according to estimates. The societal cost is $458,400 for each major injury and $24,700 for each minor damage. These numbers highlight the critical nature of lowering accident rates and lost costs for transportation organizations.
Management is a great place to start. Truck driving safety recommendations and best practices may be put into place by management to drastically lower fleet accident rates.
Transportation businesses can see a substantial return on investment (ROI), reduced lost costs, and more income due to these developments. There will be less disturbance, less spending, and fewer claims if accidents are reduced.
To start enjoying these advantages right now, read on. In this article, we will go over five safety measures that fleet management may take to lower the accident rate among truck drivers.
1. Create plans for routine maintenance
Making sure your drivers' cars are safe should be your number one priority. Failure to perform routine maintenance, such as oil and brake pad replacements, increases the likelihood of a breakdown in trucks and tractor-trailers. You may view odometer and engine data, including trouble codes, in real-time with telematics devices.
Your technicians may use this data to create comprehensive preventative maintenance regimens that take into account factors like miles, days, and breakdown history. In this case, Truck Driver News can play a handy role in understanding what’s going out there on the road.
Besides, drivers and fleet managers can also receive real-time notifications for essential fault codes. To keep your drivers from experiencing mechanical issues while on the road, it is critical to do routine maintenance and preventative repairs on your cars.
2. Perform thorough checks before and after the trip.
Thorough vehicle checks to guarantee all trucks are safe when drivers start driving go hand in hand with boosting driver safety via maintenance. The DOT mandates inspections before and after a trip, but no inspection will suffice. Ensure all checks are detailed and adequately recorded to safeguard your drivers.
For instance, drivers can electronically submit DVIRs from their phones. Moreover, drivers may take pictures of any vehicle problems and follow along with our app as it guides them through the inspection process.
That way, you know every examination is comprehensive. In addition, your management staff may be alerted instantly in the event of a dangerous DVIR submission, allowing them to schedule repairs promptly to guarantee the safety of your drivers.
3. Help coach drivers stay focused
The leading cause of accidents involving truck drivers, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), is distracted driving. Any activity that diverts a driver's attention from the road or their grip on the wheel is considered distracted driving. Everything from munching on lunch while behind the wheel to gazing at a billboard outside the window is distracting.
Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into dual-facing dash cams, such as an AI dash cam, allows the cameras to detect whether a motorist is looking down at their phone or otherwise distracted. You may choose between two different coaching approaches with this detection type. The first is providing input to drivers remotely or through mobile devices, allowing them to remain in the taxi.
4. Be Prepared for Your Journey
Your level of safety will be much higher if you prepare for your journey ahead of time. Pay close attention to possible dangers like:
- Theft of shipments, which include valuable goods, might lead to armed assaults against the vehicle's driver in high-crime regions. Take all necessary precautions when planning your stops. Stay away from dark places and places without people.
- The likelihood of a traffic mishap is higher when there is heavy traffic congestion. Watch for areas of your route that tend to see heavy traffic. Prepare to reduce your speed or come up with a different path.
- Unpredictable weather—Keep yourself updated on the weather reports along your route so you can change your plans or prepare for anything.
- Make sure that it does not include any roads limited to trucks or risks, such as bridges with low weight limits or clearances.
5. Safe Driving Practices
You should always drive defensively to safeguard yourself, as you cannot control or assume the intentions of other drivers on the road. Most cars aren't prepared to navigate around a large truck properly, according to numerous truck drivers.
Cars, not trucks, are the culprit in 81% to 91% of commercial vehicle accidents, according to research out of the University of Michigan's Transportation Institute. Here are some defensive driving techniques to help you keep on top of your game:
- To keep yourself safe, keep your eyes peeled for the following areas: ten to fifteen feet ahead of you, behind your trailer, on the passenger's side between the door and the sleeper unit, and the driving side between the trailer's front bumper and its nose.
- Always be on the lookout for potential crises; they may happen in the blink of an eye, particularly while traveling rapidly on highways. Keep your cool. Locate a secure parking spot and give yourself time to relax if you're angry from a near collision with another driver.
In the end!
Safety in trucking begins in the office and is then implemented on the road. By taking the lead in implementing these safety measures, you may safeguard your company's financial line by decreasing the expenses associated with claims and losses.