Tips
Crash course on accident prevention
As a professional driver, you've probably seen your share of accidents. Through your training, you learned skills to help you maintain control of your rig in emergency situations and if you've avoided any serious collisions, you're one of the lucky ones.
If you've been there, you know the pain and suffering from lost time, lost work and, unfortunately, lost lives. The only way to prevent accidents is to stop them before they happen. Here's a list of potential traffic accidents and some helpful advice on how you can avoid them at all costs:
Collision with vehicle ahead
Usually occurs when you're following too closely and the vehicle ahead stops suddenly. Always maintain a safe stopping distance, taking into account the weather, road conditions and your reaction time.
Collision with vehicle behind
Impatient driver behind you tries to pass you and sideswipes your rear fender. When you notice someone tailgating your truck, slow down, but don't brake. Pull over to the right and signal the driver to overtake you.
Collision with an approaching vehicle
You could see it coming with an oncoming car trying to overtake another vehicle or it could happen suddenly, such as an oncoming driver losing control on a curve. Sound your horn, pull over to the right as far as safely possible while maintaining control of your truck.
Intersection collision
The potential for accidents increases at an intersection because it's where drivers change directions -- sometimes at the last second, without signalling. Always move carefully through an intersection, signalling your intentions and making sure you're in the correct traffic lane. Keep your eyes open -- when a light changes, traffic will be moving in four different directions!
Collision with fixed object
The majority are caused by unsafe acts by the driver. So in any driving situation -- no matter where you're driving or what the weather conditions -- make sure you can stop safely.
Collision with a motorcycle
Motorcycles are small, fast and maneuverable, capable of abrupt acceleration and quick lane changes. Their relatively small size can make them more difficult to spot. Due to the motorcyclist's vulnerability to personal injury, you must exercise extra caution -- no matter what lane motorcycles ride in, or which direction they're travelling.
Collision with a bicycle
Bicyclists also represent a potential danger because of their small size and limited protection. In a split second, they can turn in front of your vehicle without your awareness. Watch bicycles carefully at all times, and take additional caution with those driven by young riders.
Collision with a pedestrian
You outweigh any pedestrian by about 40 tons. So keep your eye on pedestrians and anticipate potential dangers, such as people walking in front of your truck without your knowledge.
Jackknifing
It is one of the most common accidents and, yet, one of the most preventable. Since it usually occurs when a truck moves too fast for the road conditions, it's up to the driver to maintain a safe speed at all times. The best way to recover from a jackknife is to steer out of it, rather than braking or accelerating. If the tractor jacks, steer in the direction of the rear of the trailer. Success depends on taking the corrective action before the angle between the tractor and trailer exceeds 15 degrees.
Rollovers
This is the most dangerous kind of accident and can occur even at low speeds. The real tragedy is that many drivers, when they realize their truck is starting to roll, waste precious time trying to level it out. If your axles start to lift, assume you're going over and concentrate on protecting yourself as best you can.
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