The Importance of Enhancing Truck Driver Safety: Ways of Ensuring Safe Truck Transport

Ensuring safe transport for all traffic participants has always been a big concern for many. And with good reason. If you tend to keep up with the latest news, you’ve probably noticed that it’s impossible for a single day to go by without a traffic accident report popping up in the breaking news section. Apart from car crashes which still remain the most frequent type of traffic accident, there are other growing problems as well.

Truck driver safety is a critical concern in the transportation industry as it impacts not only the truck drivers but also the overall safety of public roadways. The growing number of truck accidents is becoming increasingly disturbing and it’s best to deal immediately with the issue rather than letting it develop into something much bigger.

Governments all around the USA need to take action and dig deep into the problem to see the main causes and cure the infection before it spreads. In the next lines, we’ll also try to shed some light on the problem and explore the potential safety measures that could help fix the problem. 

Truck driver safety as an alarming issue

Discussing truck safety is important because truck drivers play a big role in the economy of each country today. Now more than ever truck drivers have an important role in transporting goods across distant locations and they’re in charge of ensuring that supply chains remain intact.

Additionally, the importance of truck driver safety also extends to other drivers as the consequences of a truck accident can be much more gruesome than just your minor road accident. Over the past years, there has been a gradual increase in the number of truck accidents and, according to a 2022 report there were almost 6,000 large trucks involved in fatal crashes. And the number doesn’t seem to be dropping.

Although you may think that, in comparison to the number of car crashes that take place every year, this figure is not as disturbing, you need to keep in mind that we’re talking about truck accidents here. And the extent of damage caused by a truck accident is much bigger, states an Indiana truck accident lawyer.

By improving truck safety, you’re not only enhancing safety for all road participants, but you’re also opening doors to many economic benefits. As large truck collisions cost the US economy huge amounts of money, enhancing safety can also result in cost savings.

Challenges in enhancing truck driver safety

Driver fatigue is probably one of the main reasons why these types of accidents take place. As truck drivers are known to work long hours (even days), they tend to suffer from fatigue that increases the risk of accidents. Also, with the tight delivery schedules that they have, it definitely puts the pressure on drivers and they often fail to take regular breaks.

Additionally, vehicle maintenance is another big issue as most trucks are not regularly serviced. Any malfunctions need to be spotted on time to avoid accidents and fatalities. 

Moreover, truck drivers mostly lead sedentary lifestyles and don’t take care about their health. Due to their poor diet and lack of physical activity, their alertness is also low and they have trouble reacting in unexpected situations. 

Strategies to optimize truck driver safety

As truck driver safety has still not been recognized as a serious issue by many, much needs to be done to improve safety and ensure a safe driving experience, especially for those drivers who spend days on the road transporting goods. Below, you’ll find a list of potentially effective strategies that could help improve truck driver safety and lower the number of accidents.

Strict rest break policies

Recommending that truck drivers take a break every two to three hours is not enough. There are still many who will completely disregard this advice especially when met with tight delivery dates. That’s why enforcing mandatory rest breaks is important. It can help drivers combat fatigue and actually force them to take their required breaks. There are several ways to ensure that drivers in fact comply with this policy.

That’s where technology steps in. Today you can find a number of electronic logging devices or ELDs that can ensure compliance. These are used to record driving time and capture all the data on the vehicle’s engine. That way, one could easily check whether the truck driver had taken their mandatory break.

Regular maintenance checks

As with any vehicle, it’s equally important to regularly check the truck and make sure it’s fully equipped with all that’s necessary and operating perfectly. Often, a regular maintenance check is overlooked, especially if the time gap between two trips is extremely short. And that can go on for quite some time until it eventually becomes too late and an accident has already taken place.

Therefore, checking the truck for potential repairs is necessary and should be done on a regular basis. It’s also advisable for trucking companies to make sure there’s enough time between two trips to get the truck repaired if necessary.

Promoting safe driving practices

Many truck drivers are not aware of the dangers of distracted driving. Or maybe they’re aware in theory but have never seen the actual consequences. For instance, a way to raise awareness on the risks of distracted driving would be to show truck drivers videos of fatal truck accidents. That way they’ll actually have the image ingrained in their heads and will think twice before using their mobile phones while on the road.

Additionally, truck agencies can also put in place policies that restrict the use of mobile devices while driving. 

Health and wellness programs

Finally, initiatives that promote healthy eating and regular exercise are always beneficial. Also, it’s recommended for truck agencies to grant their drivers at least one annual medical check-up that they can take advantage of and use to check their overall health.

Checking their eyesight and reflexes are probably the two most important points on the list as the drivers’ alertness needs to be on a high level at all times.

The bottom line

Enhancing truck driver safety might not be the easiest and quickest task to cross off the to-do list, but it’s important to put in place the necessary policies that promote safety for all. By ensuring that truck drivers get regular breaks and the health check-ups they need, the number of truck accidents per year will already be drastically lowered.

It’s important to act quickly and cut the problem in the root before it becomes a big concern for all road participants.