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Truck Safety: How To Avoid Common Accident Causes

Accidents can happen at any time no matter where you are. But, if you’re a truck driver, you’re more at risk of accidents. In fact, truck driving ranks 7th in one of the top deadliest occupations in the US.

But, the good news is that you can lessen your chances of getting involved in such fiascos. To do that, here are some tips.

Rest

Fatigued driving is one of the common causes of accidents on the road, especially for truck drivers. As a matter of fact, a seasoned Carrolton truck accident attorney says that it is one of the top reasons to blame for thousands of fatalities each year. Hence, the regulations to keep tired truck drivers off the road.

To prevent this, take time to rest. Yes, it’s okay to work hard but remember to take a break when you’re feeling tired. If you’re expecting a long drive, get plenty of sleep the night before your schedule. Also, try to plan your route to see where you can stop and rest in case you suddenly feel sleepy while driving.

Focus

Distracted driving is yet another common reason why accidents happen on the road. To make sure you don’t lose your focus while driving, stop using your phone unless there’s an emergency. Try to consider accessories that allow you to use your phone without your hands in case you really need to use your phone.

Additionally, make sure to get enough sleep. This is because your energy can affect your concentration too.

Your music can also impact your concentration while driving. It can affect your mood and your energy levels. If music helps you keep your focus while driving, try to listen to music that will neither make you sleepy nor affect your mood too much.

Inspect Your Vehicle

Sometimes, no matter how careful your drive, technical problems may still occur, which could result in accidents. To prevent vehicle failure while you’re on the road, don’t forget to check your truck before leaving.

Doing this may require some effort and a little extra time. Yet, this will help you keep accidents at bay. So, as much as you can, check your vehicle first – from the brakes to your vehicle’s tires.

Do a Weather Check

Rainy Street

Nature can play a part in road accidents too, particularly rain and snow. During storms or when the snow starts to fall, the road gets more slippery. If you’re not careful enough, accidents can happen.

Additionally, other severe weather conditions like fog and strong winds can also cause unfortunate events on the road. In some cases, extreme weather can reduce your visibility, making it more challenging to control your vehicle.

That said, make sure to keep track of the weather in your area, route, and destination. If severe weather is expected, you might want to consider convincing your boss to move the delivery schedule until the weather is safe enough for truck driving.

If unexpected weather changes happen while you’re on the road, make sure to drive more carefully to prevent accidents.

Checking and planning your route before you hit the road also helps during unforeseen changes in the weather. This will help you know where you can stop for a while until it’s safe to drive again.

Never Drive Under Influence

Drugs and alcohol can alter brain function. At first, you might not feel the substance kick in, especially alcohol. But when it does, it can impair your senses, which makes it more challenging and dangerous to drive.

That said, before your scheduled delivery, never try to do drugs. It will not only affect your concentration levels but can also negatively impact your hand and eye function. Decision-making will become more difficult too, which is crucial when you’re behind the wheels.

Also, never drink and drive. Just like drugs, alcohol can affect your senses, which can make it hard to make quick judgments and control your vehicle. Even if you think the alcohol hasn’t kicked in and you can still drive to your destination, don’t risk it as you’ll never know how the alcohol will affect you after some time.

Overloading Cargo

Even if you’re driving a huge vehicle, it doesn’t mean that you can carry more than its capacity. Apparently, overloaded vehicles are at risk of tire blowouts that could result in road accidents. Aside from that, your vehicle may trip over after a turn as the weight of your vehicle is uneven so only load your vehicle up to its capacity.

Road accidents can change many lives drastically. So make sure to play it safe on the road.


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Truck Safety: How To Avoid Common Accident Causes

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