Top 9 Tips In Defensive Driving A Trucker Must Know – Matrack Insight
Have you ever heard about defensive driving? Well, it is a safe driving skill to reduce any possibility of accidents in your fleet.
A fleet includes large vehicles. Driving them safely to deliver goods is not an easy task. A driver has to have several hurdles in the way. Sometimes, they might get involved in road rage. And other times, they are tired to pay attention to the road. In either case, they are at risk. Also, other people, your business, their future, everything is at stake.
To avoid this situation, protect your business reputation, and promote safety in your fleet, you have to instill some defensive driving skills in your drivers.
So what exactly is defensive driving that we are talking about? Check out this article to understand its importance of it.
What is Defensive Driving?
Defensive driving is a proactive approach that involves being aware of one’s surroundings and anticipating potential hazards. It is a style of driving that involves driving at a safe speed, maintaining a safe following distance, checking blind spots, using signals, and avoiding distractions such as texting, eating, or using a cell phone.
The concept behind defensive driving is that it focuses on reducing the risks associated with driving and minimizing the chances of a road accident. It also involves being mindful of road conditions and weather and being aware of other drivers’ actions and behaviors.
By practicing defensive driving, drivers can reduce the risk of accidents, protect themselves and other road users, and promote safer driving habits.
Defensive driving is a significant skill for all truckers to master. With the increased size and weight of big rigs, truckers need to be proactive in preventing accidents on the road.
Nine Effective Tips For Defensive Driving For Truckers
- Plan Before Hitting the Road
Before you hit the road, plan your route and stop in advance. It will help you avoid potential hazards, such as harsh weather conditions, road construction & maintenance, and traffic patterns throughout the day to make the most efficient use of your time.
You will also need to plan your stops and decide on fixed resting and driving hours to deliver the freight without going through a lot of trouble.
While on the road, you may face a mishap in the shape of a flat tire or a minor accident. Planning for such emergencies in advance can prevent the loss of precious time.
- Know your Vehicle
As a trucker, knowing your vehicle and its limitations is significant. You should get important insights into the vehicle before driving it, for example, hauling capacity, fuel tank capacity, etc. It will help in route planning with desired fuel stops and maintenance checks and prevents vehicle overloading.
- Pre-vehicle Check
Before setting out on a trip, it is important to check your vehicle thoroughly. It includes checking the brakes, tires, lights, and other essential components. Check that your truck is in good working condition and that all necessary repairs have been made before hitting the road.
- Maintain a Safe Distance
Another critical element of defensive driving is maintaining a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of you.
To calculate the safe following distance, you have to consider various factors, including the speed of your truck, the weight of the cargo you are hauling, the weather conditions, and the road conditions.
You need to remember that handling a Freight Truck differs from regular vehicles (because of the size and weight differences); you need to be aware while making sharp turns or executing overtaking maneuvers.
It is crucial to maintain a safe following distance from other on-the-road vehicles. It gives you adequate time to respond if the vehicle in front of you suddenly stops. Especially, when operating a heavy truck, maintaining a safe following distance is especially crucial because stopping distances for trucks are longer than for other types of vehicles.
- Watch Your Speed
Maintaining a proper speed on the highway is an important skill. You need to set your driving speed according to your requirements under the speed limit. Most truck accidents happen due to speeding. Obey speed limits and adjust your speed according to road conditions.
Driving too fast can reduce your reaction time and increase the chances of an accident.
Similarly, driving too slow will create problems for other vehicles on the route and increase the probability of a collision, especially under harsh weather conditions (fog, heavy rain, etc.).
- Stay Alert and Avoid Distracted Driving
As a trucker, you might have to spend many hours on the road, and it becomes tough to stay alert and focused. It would be best to get sufficient sleep, take planned breaks, and eat a healthy diet to avoid this.
Distracted driving can cause problems for truckers; therefore, drivers need to focus on the road while driving. Avoid using your cell phone, eating, or engaging in distracting activities while driving. Instead, stay focused on the road ahead and maintain a safe & alert driving posture.
- Be Aware of Your Surroundings
A slight lack of focus and awareness can cause massive problems, and you have to suffer heavy losses in the business due to accidents or delay in delivering the freight on the agreed time.
One of the most common reasons behind road accidents is the need for more awareness. As a driver of massive and heavy machinery, truckers need to be constantly aware of their surroundings, such as other vehicles, intersections, traffic signs, etc.
A driver should also keep an eye on the blind spots as these large vehicles have much larger blind spots than an average vehicle. Staying aware of your surroundings while driving guarantees on-time and safe delivery.
While driving, truck drivers also need to be aware of what’s happening on the road around them. You should constantly check the vehicles in front of you and the ones behind you.
It will provide insight into other drivers’ driving maneuvers and help make split-second decisions that might prevent major mishaps and damage to the truck.
- Avoid Tailgating
Tailgating is a dangerous and aggressive driving behavior and is one of the leading causes of rear-end collisions. Freight trucks require more braking distance than average vehicles. It is a simple rule, a large truck requires more braking distance.
Ensure to keep a safe following distance and avoid getting too close to the vehicle in front of you. It will give you enough space to react in case of sudden stops or lane changes.
- Keep away from Road Rage
Commonly categorized as aggressive driving, road rage is one of the prominent causes of road accidents, sometimes also resulting in fatalities. Keeping calm and patient while driving is a necessary skill for truckers that can prevent road rage from escalating.
Truckers can and should avoid road rage situations as it is bad for business in many ways; it might cause an unexpected delay in the delivery or cause heavy fines for violating traffic rules.
Bonus Tip
Despite its importance, defensive driving is often overlooked and undervalued. Many drivers need to receive adequate training in defensive driving techniques, and as a result, they may need to prepare for the challenges of driving on the road. And therefore, individuals need to seek training opportunities and resources to learn more about defensive driving.
One of the best ways to become a better defensive driver is to seek professional training programs. These programs provide drivers with hands-on experience in defensive driving techniques and help them develop the necessary skills to stay safe on the road.
Additionally, many resources are available online, including videos, articles, and interactive simulations to help drivers improve their skills.
It is important to remember that defensive driving is not just a one-time effort but a continuous process. Drivers should be aware, alert, and aware of their surroundings and be prepared to react to any potential dangers. Additionally, it is significant to regularly review and update your defensive driving skills to ensure that you remain safe on the road.
Efforts By FMCSA Toward A Safe Driving Experience
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) does not have specific regulations for commercial drivers on defensive driving. Still, it does have requirements for driver’s training programs and testing for commercial driver license holders.
The FMCSA requires that commercial drivers receive training on various safety topics, including safe driving practices, hours-of-service regulations, and vehicle maintenance.
The training is provided by a qualified instructor and meets established standards by the FMCSA. The training is documented, and the driver’s employer must maintain records of it.
How Can Matrack Help You With Defensive Driving?
Matrack provides affordable and extensive telematics tools to keep the driver, vehicle and cargo safe during the transition.
The Fleet Management System (FMS) plays a vital role in this. The FMS by Matrack helps truckers in keeping a check on their vehicle through maintenance and fuel management. It helps them plan for their journey in advance.
It also provides driver behavior monitoring. It uses telematics data to track and analyze driver behavior and sends real-time alerts to drivers and fleet managers in case of dangerous driving behavior.
One of the prominent services under the FMS is the GPS device (Global Positioning System) that records the vehicle’s speed. You can use this feature to prevent speeding by drivers. You can also manage the settings on the GPS tracker and set a speed limit for the vehicle. The device records the vehicle’s speed and notifies the fleet manager if the set limit is exceeded.
Matrack also provides a state-of-the-art AI-powered dash-cam system. This dash-cam setup can monitor lanes and alert drivers if there is an imminent danger of an accident or if another vehicle changes lanes without indication. You will have five cameras on the car (front, rear, sides, and driver-facing).
The dash-cam also helps in keeping a check on the driver’s behavior by providing real-time feed from the camera as well as previously recorded videos. It can help with monitoring when the driver is distracted while driving or when he is driving recklessly.
Matrack FMS also provides comprehensive reports and analytics to help fleet managers make informed decisions about fleet management and driving safety.
Although the FMCSA has not imposed strict regulations on safe driving, it has been trying to introduce a speed-limiting device in the trucking industry. The Matrack FMS provides this feature, where an operator can set truck speed limits. The GPS tracker will notify the operator if the speed limit is violated. If the FMSCA imposes strict regulations on the speed limit of trucks soon, the features offered by the Matrack FMS will benefit drivers and fleet managers.
Bottomline
Defensive driving is a crucial aspect of driving that can save lives and prevent accidents on the road. By being aware of our surroundings, making decisions, and following the rules of the road, we can minimize the risk of collision and ensure the safety of ourselves and others. Every driver is responsible for educating himself on defensive driving techniques and putting them into practice every time he gets behind the wheel. Remember, being a defensive driver benefits not only you but everyone on the road. So, let’s consciously drive defensively and help create a safer driving environment for everyone on the road.