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As promised in the February edition of FleetWatch, here is the grim litany of accidents involving trucks during December 2005. Last month’s article ‘The Gift of Negligence’, with statistics issued by the Department of Transport (DoT), reported a death toll of 122 people. This has subsequently been amended. The correct figure is 129, reports Paul Collings.

As difficult as it is to pore over reports of multiple deaths, the statistics we get from the DoT are valuable. They not only show us if any progress is being made as far as the war on road accidents is concerned, but also give us insights into why accidents happen, enabling us to find solutions to help fight the battle.

Tragically, despite the millions spent on road safety awareness and enforcement campaigns by the DoT throughout the year, the death toll and accident rate climb every year. According to the DoT, 1 230 people lost their lives in motor accidents in December 2004. The figure in December 2005 rose to 1 416. For some reason, the number of accidents and deaths involving trucks decreased from December 2004 (108 accidents and 166 deaths), to December 2005 (103 accidents and 129 deaths).

These truck-related statistics do offer a glimmer of hope: that maybe motorists and truck drivers are learning to share the road better, that trucks are better maintained and that truck drivers are doing their job better. Nonetheless, one road death is too many and we all need to be constantly aware of the dangers that exist on our highways and byways.

Head-rear collisions

This is the #1 type of accident involving trucks. Typically, it is a car that ploughs into the back of a slower moving truck, although truck-ontruck head-rear accidents do occur quite frequently. Poor visibility is the obvious culprit in this instance and brings into question the quality of truck conspicuity markings and lighting. Whether it is at night or in poor visibility due to rain, mist, fog or smoke, trucks have to be fitted with the best possible conspicuity markings and lights. How many trucks are fitted with rear fog lamps? Not a lot is our bet.

Yellow lane driving has become something of a hot topic in debates around road safety. Law governs the practice but allows for personal interpretation, placing the responsibility on the driver to determine whether it is safe or not to travel in the emergency lane – and during daylight hours only.

What used to be an act of courtesy on the part of truck drivers towards faster-moving motorists has now become a ‘mandatory move’ it seems, as far as motorists are concerned. They seem to believe that trucks should move into the emergency lane and give them right of way.

Truckers need to ‘take the power back’ and not be bullied into a hazardous predicament inside the yellow line. Let the impatient motorist risk his neck. Besides, what’s he going to do if you don’t move over? Push you over?

Head-on collisions

Somehow, a head-on accident suggests one thing loud and clear – ‘someone got impatient, lost the plot and overtook when they should have sat tight’. Suicide bombers and Kamikaze pilots are the exception, by a long shot. Most people do enjoy being alive and will avoid a headon collision by all means possible. Impatience, however, drowns reason and turns drivers into lunatics, coaxing them into oncoming lanes on blind rises, blind corners and narrow gaps.

The lesson is clear: don’t risk it. Only overtake when you can see well ahead of you that the road is clear and that your vehicle has the necessary power to get you safely past danger.

Sideswipe

This kind of collision is a head-on that didn’t happen: a vehicle overtaking a slower moving truck has to re-enter the lane because oncoming traffic is coming on just a little too quickly for comfort. The overtaking vehicle pulls across the truck, gets clipped by the back – or front end of the truck depending on how far he has progressed past the truck -and loses control.

The message to truckers in this situation is ‘Come to a straight stop’. Do not over correct or swerve. This could result in further collisions.

Fatigue

Long distance driving is a tiring business and both truckers and motorists are eager to push themselves beyond normal limits to get to their destinations as soon as possible. Driver fatigue is a huge killer on our roads, be it because the person behind the wheel falls asleep or merely loses concentration because he/she is tired.

Truck drivers should adhere to recommended driving hours and should never be coerced by their bosses to exceed these limits.

Speeding

This is becoming an increasingly worrying problem in the truck world with drivers running hard – normally to keep to a schedule that matches the JIT delivery demands of clients. Transport managers need to keep close tabs on tachographs, onboard computers/tracking devices to monitor driver behaviour and clamp down on speedsters. Transport managers should put incentives for ongoing driver compliance in place. Operators should also negotiate realistic delivery time frames with clients so as to avoid drivers having to speed to meet client demands.

Pedestrians

Once again, it’s all about sharing the road. Truck drivers should exercise extreme caution when driving through urban as well as rural areas keeping constant watch for people at the roadside waiting to cross. Blind spots on trucks should be fixed using extra mirrors and horns should blast a clear warning when activated.

Passengers

These are the ‘sitting ducks’ in any accident, the helpless victims of which there were 50 who died in truck related accidents over December. Most of them die in taxis, cars and bakkies but there are those who fall off the back of trucks. Truck drivers should never be allowed to carry passengers and especially in the load body of a vehicle. Any transgression of this rule should be subject to disciplinary action.

Unfit vehicles

Tyre blowouts and failed brakes are all too frequent occurrences on our roads. Often, these failures result in multiple deaths. Transporters need to be especially vigilant as to the fitness of their vehicles’ safety critical items. Regular checks need to be conducted by trained staff. Reports need to be compiled and a comprehensive preventative maintenance programme needs to be implemented.

Drivers who feel the vehicle they’ve been asked to pilot is unfit for road duty should refuse to drive that vehicle without negative repercussions from management.

Bottom line

In a road traffic environment that is becoming more and more congested, truck drivers need to be more cautious. They need to be trained in the art of defensive driving and their equipment needs to be the best it can be. Transport managers need to ensure that both drivers and vehicles are fit for duty. Modern trucks are paragons of road safety technology and should be used on long haul operations.

Despite the fact that most of the accidents involving trucks are caused by motorists, transporters need to realise that road safety is their problem, more so than the average motorist’s. After all, the road is the transporter’s ‘conveyor belt’ and an integral part of his means of production. He needs to make sure it works properly.