Driver Safety: A Core Transportation Industry Value

Every ship and vehicle is concerned about safety. The offer chain’s essence is made up of drivers, and protecting them is a crucial part of the transportation sector. Injuries are not only harmful to the people involved, but also to companies and vendors that experience monetary losses, delivery delays, skills recruiting issues and various ramifications.

Trucks, particularly large professional carriers, populate our towns and routes on a daily basis. Truck accidents are also increased by high levels of truck traffic in various regions of the nation, but encouragingly, recent data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ( FMCSA ) shows that fatalities from crashes involving at least one large truck decreased by 11 % in 2023.

Biggest Security Risks

The final objective is to remain lowering annual incidents and promoting better education opportunities for fleet drivers and resources. Beneath are some of the biggest health risks that today’s business truck drivers face:

Driver Fatigue: Driver fatigue is one of the most important issues with vehicle safety. Extended hours on the road, plus strong delivery schedules, can lead to tired moving and mistakes. Important regulations to get tired and accident-prone drivers off the road have been put in place by the FMCSA to implement Hours of Service ( HOS ) regulations to limit the number of hours a truck driver can operate a vehicle.
• Distracted Driving: Truck drivers are increasingly finding it difficult to use wireless phones and other technological gadgets while driving. While some shipping companies have laws preventing the use of wireless devices while on the road, hands-free cellular device holders and technologies that switch travel screens while the truck is moving can still be used by drivers to use routing/mapping tools, delivery documentation apps, and various digital tools that help them perform their jobs more effectively and efficiently while remaining cooperative with FMCSA regulations.
• Road Situations and Weather: Bad road conditions and sweltering conditions can cause accidents. Inadequate banners, road development, poorly maintained sidewalks and storms ( rain, snow, ice, wind ) all pose hazards, especially for large, big vehicles that require more room for stopping and time to maneuver goes.
• Vehicle Maintenance: Proper maintenance of trucks is crucial for safety. Mechanical failures, such as brake malfunctions or tire blowouts, can lead to unforgiving accidents. It is crucial to employ a preventative maintenance plan and ensure trucks are regularly inspected and serviced in accordance with manufacturer and regulatory standards in order to reduce maintenance-related incidents.

Common Trucking Accidents

Based on FMCSA research, one of the most common types of critical events for trucks is rear-end crashes, accounting for 22 % of truck accidents. A semi-truck driver hits another vehicle from behind in this kind of incident. Common causes of rear-end truck accidents include speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, defective truck brakes and faulty truck lights.

Another common type of accident for trucks is running off the road or veering into another lane ( 32 % ), primarily due to speed, distractions, fatigue, or driving under the influence. It has been shown that novice truckers who lack the necessary professional training and experience have a problem in general.

We’re also seeing a lot of backing accidents, primarily as a result of drivers who are in no rush or willing to take a chance and back up without leaving to ensure they have proper clearance. Furthermore, drivers often feel rushed to get their trailer backed in so they’re not holding up other drivers.

If the driver took a few more seconds and other drivers were more patient, nearly all backing collisions could have been avoided. We’ve frequently witnessed impatient drivers trying to pass or maneuver around a truck moving forward or making a turn, putting everyone in harm’s way. A few common-sense ways can drivers of commercial vehicles avoid backing collisions are listed below.

• Walk around the vehicle: Check for potential hazards like other trailers, children, low-hanging wires, dumpsters, dock workers or tight spaces.
• Use a spotter: Especially in difficult situations, like backing in off a road, use a spotter to help control traffic and pedestrians.
• Install cameras: Side-mounted cameras that activate while in reverse and can be viewed on the driver’s tablet are a valuable aid while backing.

Understanding the preventive measures to avoid crashes caused by poor traction and poor visibility can greatly reduce the number of accidents during our coldest months. However, each year the number of truck crashes rises during the winter months.

Accidents are not only harmful to the people involved, but also to carriers and vendors that experience financial losses, shipment delays, talent recruiting issues and other ramifications.@ungvar – adobe.stock.com

Technology Establishing a New Standard

When it comes to communication between drivers and back-office teams and truck driver safety, technology is having a significant impact. These solutions span a wide range of capabilities, from collision mitigation to road-and-driver-facing cameras, lane keep and electronic roll stability features, to dynamic speed management to telematics. Adoption of these safety-focused tools are on the uptick.

According to a recent FMCSA report, both drivers and carriers have a higher adoption rate for advanced driver assistance systems ( ADAS ) technology. The pandemic also accelerated technology use, with 96 % of carriers and 86 % of shippers moving to cloud-based systems.

Fleets are developing best practices and programs for their drivers as a result of the development of telematics and video intelligence, particularly. These solutions can trigger event recordings to replay and analyze various situations and provide real-time guidance to drivers on routes. According to their types, size, and safety objectives, pilots can choose the best camera configurations.

For many drivers, a notable advantage of using a driver-facing camera is showing and rewarding attentive behavior and decision-making. Recordings are also used to educate drivers about a variety of situations, such as using their phones, or to raise awareness of the frequency of unapproved behaviors.