This month’s SGI traffic spotlight takes a step away from the regular driver and focuses on safety around commercial vehicles.
“We want commercial drivers to ensure that they are following the rules and all the requirements as a driver and that their vehicle is meeting those safety standards,” said Marie Schultz, communications consultant with SGI.
This month’s traffic spotlight is a team effort between SGI and the Saskatchewan Trucking Association (STA).
SGI is asking commercial drivers to remember the following via news release:
• Complete proper pre- and post-trip inspections to ensure your vehicle is in good operating condition.
• Ensure your vehicle is within the allowed height and weight limits to prevent damaging roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
• Signal well in advance when planning to turn or change lanes, especially turning right as you may have to swing wide into a second lane.
• Hang up, buckle up and be alert to the actions of oncoming drivers and other drivers at intersections.
• Pull over when feeling tired – it could truly be a matter of life or death.
• If you’ve been driving for many years, review the Professional Driver’s Handbook to keep up with new laws and to refresh your memory on the responsibilities of a professional driver.
The most common accidents involving commercial vehicles are rear-end crashes, right- and left-turn crashes, and sideswipe crashes. SGI and STA recommend that other drivers remember that large trucks take longer to start and stop, they take wide turns, and have bigger blind spots. To compensate, other drivers must remember to increase follow distance, be aware of when they’re turning, avoid areas directly in front of, behind, or beside them, and above all, be patient.
“The other drivers don’t really understand how much room they need to be safe,” Schultz said. “They need to respect these larger vehicles.”
In 78 per cent of fatal crashes involving a large truck, the actions of the other driver were a major contributing factor in the collision, so remembering how to act around large trucks is important for others to know.
“It’s not only important for commercial drivers to take precautions,” said Al Rosseker, Executive Director of STA in a news release. “Road safety is everyone’s responsibility - other drivers also need to know the safety implications associated with larger vehicles, and how to share the road safely with them.”
