5 Safety Tips for Truck Drivers to Prevent Accidents

Truck accidents are usually the most catastrophic and disastrous accidents on the road. They are fatal for all parties involved most of the time.

Even if the victims survive, they almost never leave without serious injuries, brain damage, or trauma. Prevention is essential when it comes to truck accidents.

Here are some important accident prevention tips for truck drivers to decrease the risk of getting into an accident.

Drive At a Reasonable Speed

One of the most considerable differences between driving a car and a truck is the speed limit. Many car drivers treat the speed limit as the minimum driving speed rather than the maximum. Truck drivers on the other hand need to pay more attention to the speed limit.

Driving slow and steady makes it easier to adjust your speed if you’re driving in bad weather or experiencing road hazards. Although it is important to get your load to the destination on time, it’s not worth risking your life and the lives of other drivers on the road.

And yes, always wear a seatbelt. Around 15% of drivers don’t use it. It can lead to serious injury or even death.

Plan Your Path Beforehand

As a professional truck driver, you’ll need to make deliveries to new destinations almost every day. Since they can’t follow the same roads, routes, and exits as passenger cars, it is crucial to get a lay of the land to see where you can’t and can go. It’ll lower the likelihood of you having to make sudden turns or getting distracted on the road.

Have a full picture of the map you need to follow in your head so you won’t have to stare at a GPS behind the wheel. That way, you can avoid routes and passageways that aren’t fit or too narrow for your truck.

Get Plenty of Sleep

The importance of a good night’s sleep is very often neglected by not just passenger drivers, but truck drivers as well, as they have to deal with busy schedules. Many states even have regulations about the number of breaks you should take and the number of hours you need to sleep.

Cutting corners on your sleep schedule just to fill quotas and meet deadlines isn’t recommended. Though it’s important to be efficient, your health matters much more.

Stay away from mobile or laptops during the trip. It might keep you awake, but it will distract you from the road.

Don’t Consume Alcohol or Drugs behind the Wheel

If for some reason you have to be behind the wheel without getting enough sleep, using drugs like cocaine and amphetamines to keep yourself awake is never a good solution. You’re more likely to fall asleep faster when those stimulants wear off.

Similarly, drinking a whole 12-pack of beer on a hot day behind the wheel might be tempting, but it is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol in most countries. If you sustained injuries or damage from a DUI then contact a law firm like www.californialawfirm.net

Know What You’re Carrying

It might be obvious to know what haul you’re carrying inside your truck, but for independent contractors or drivers working through an employment agency, getting informed about the load isn’t always the case.

They carry cargo for different companies every day so it’s easy to forget but very important nonetheless. For instance, if you’re carrying hazardous and delicate material, a minor accident or hard swerve could cause serious damage or break something.

After those 5 tips, there are several others also.

Always wear comfortable loose clothing.  Footwear should be breathable sneakers or boots according to weather conditions. Wearing a Polaroid sunglass and cap will help you to avoid sunburn and glare on road.

Keep yourself safe during loading and unloading. Check all the parameters like fuel, tyre pressure, oil, and vehicle-related points before you start.

During the pandemic, it is also now necessary to keep things contactless. Check the weather as you can see many unexpected events due to global warming nowadays. There are several applications available to help you in this routine.