Safety Tips for Truck Drivers

Operating large trucks can be difficult due to their large size and not everyone can learn how to drive them in a safe manner both for the truck drivers themselves and for those driving around the trucks. What many people may not know is all drivers of commercial motor vehicles are required to have a commercial license in order to operate the large sized vehicles. In order to get such a license, truck drivers go through classes and training in order to show that they have the general knowledge and skills in operating trucks – stopping, backing, making turns, driving in cities and highways, weaving the truck through obstacles, etc.

That said, even with their extensive training and experience, truck drivers should take some general precautions when operating their large sized vehicles to make driving safer for themselves and for those around them.

Space Cushion. Practicing safe driving involves knowing and being aware of your surroundings at all times. Maintaining a space cushion around the truck ensures that you’re not too close to other objects, whether stationary or moving. Truck drivers should be concerned of certain directions around their vehicle: above, beneath, in front, behind, and on both sides. This would mean that drivers should be conscious of tunnels, overpasses, speed bumps, road hazards, following distance, turning space, negotiating parking places, etc. As such, keeping a space cushion between themselves, and those and things around them would help truck drivers avoid unnecessary accidents.

Planning the Trip. A lot of the difficulty and danger can be eliminated by planning your trip ahead of time. Knowing the terrain and travel conditions can help you avoid routes that would provide navigating difficulty or cause other issues down the road. Knowing your route ahead of time will help drivers plan for traffic congestion, stop lights and signs, inclement weather, construction sites, mountain terrain, routes with tight turns, etc. Planning and timing your trip in advance would also facilitate calm driving, which can prevent accidents due to unnecessary rushing and carelessness.

Moderating Speed. Speed is one of the more important aspects of truck driving. Trucks have a stronger momentum – it takes longer to pick up speed and longer to brake than a regular car. Due to this, when driving a large vehicle, moderating the speed and ensuring that you aren’t driving too fast to prevent and avoid collisions. Therefore, moderating the speed of the truck in one of the main ways of practicing safe driving.

Operating Turns and Curves. Due to the large size of trucks, navigating turns and curves can be both difficult and dangerous. It is important to moderate your speed when taking turns or curves, in order to ensure that you do not turn over or crash your vehicle. Certain things to keep in mind when navigating turns and curves are: ramp speed limits are geared towards smaller cars, not large trucks; when approaching a ramp, slowing down is a must, as it will ensure that the tires maintain contact with the road; allow for distance and speed of other vehicles when making a turn across traffic or into the path of oncoming traffic.

Working around the Weather. Weather can affect driving conditions in many ways. For example, drivers would need to leave more room between themselves and other drivers as precipitation (whether it is rain, snow, ice, etc.) on the ground can make the tires skid and in such cases drivers would require more room to bring their trucks to a stop. Therefore, being aware of weather conditions could ensure that drivers leave enough room to complete their jobs or to get where they’re going – keeping calm and slow in wet conditions can be the difference between controlling your vehicle and losing traction, and along with it control over acceleration, braking or steering.

Nevertheless, even if one takes every precaution available, accident can still happened. If you or a loved one was injured in an accident due to the fault of the other party, contact a personal injury attorney to help you explore all your options. To schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced lawyer from the Law Offices Of Eslamboly Hakim, call 800-LAW-TALK (529-8255) or contact us online at www.hakiminjurylaw.com.