The trucking industry tries to be safe, but other motorists have to help

The following material was gleaned from the Ontario Trucking Association

The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) maintains that it drives to make roads safer, and offers resources to try to ensure that.

The association points out there are a number of things to remember when it comes to sharing the road with a truck, or a lot of trucks, for that matter, and they have resources available in that regard too.

They include the OTA Road Knights Team. This is a group of professional truck drivers, committed to road safety, who volunteer their time and energy to share knowledge with the community. They travel around, making oral and video presentations. At requests, they can bring tractor trailers for demonstrations, even offering people a look at the world from the vantage point of a truck driver.

Be a Partner in Safety

The trucking industry is always striving to be safe.

When motorists travel the highway, they likely won't notice the hundreds of trucks being driven properly, but they will remember the one that isn't.

If you see a truck being driven in an unsafe manner, make a note of the incident, getting as much information as possible, especially off the cab door. Then call the trucking company, or call OTA and they will notify the company. Companies are concerned about safety, according to OTA, and they take these reports seriously. By calling, people will become a partner in safety with OTA.

On the other hand, truck drivers also perform hundreds of acts of roadside assistance every year. OTA would like to know about them too, and about drivers worthy of praise or special recognition.

Quick Facts About

Trucking

Trucking is the preferred mode of transport for shippers because of the industry's ability to provide reliable, efficient, time-sensitive service that manufacturers, retailers and other shippers require. Trucks move 90 per cent of all consumer products and foodstuffs within Ontario and 74 per cent of Ontario's trade with the United States (the province's largest trading partner). The trucking industry employs more than 200,000 people in Ontario, and truck driver is the top occupation for Canadian males (255,990 according to the 2001 Statistics Canada census).

OTA reports that tractortrailer units and truck drivers, as a group, continue to be the safest vehicles and drivers on Ontario roadways. The 2001 data compiled by the Ministry of Transportation shows that trucks represented 1.8 per cent of all vehicles involved in collisions on Ontario roadways. And, the truck driver was deemed to have been driving properly in 72 per cent of the fatal collisions involving tractor-trailers.

Here are some safety tips to remember from OTA when it comes to sharing the road with trucks:

Stay visible

when behind a truck

When you come to a stop behind a truck, keep to the left of your lane so the driver can see you in the truck's side mirror. Remember, if you can't see the truck driver in one of the truck's mirrors he/she probably can't see you.

Roll Back

Always leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the truck to prevent roll back incidents, which can happen when a truck driver is forced to stop on an upgrade. As the truck driver takes his/her foot off the brake and releases the clutch, the truck may roll back a few feet. Remember, the truck may have a very heavy load and has many gears to shift to get going.

Avoid Tailgating

Never tailgate, particularly trucks. The truck's size will almost totally block your view and you will have to rely on the truck's brake lights for a signal that something is going on in front. At the same time, you will be in one of the truck driver's blind spots.

Give a truck stopping distances

Never pull in front of a truck without leaving adequate room between your vehicle and the front of the truck. Trucks can't stop on a dime and you might be the cause of a jackknife or a major crash.

Beware when a truck is

backing up

When a truck driver is backing up he/she has to use side mirrors. Even though they are very large mirrors, they still leave a big blind spot. So be patient and never cross behind a truck which is preparing to back up.

Be careful when passing trucks The same rules apply for passing a truck as for passing a car. The first step in a safe pass is to check the traffic front and rear. Don't pull out if you're being overtaken by traffic from behind or if there is other traffic approaching.

Once you have decided to pass and see that the way is clear — don't hesitate. Declare your intention to pass and follow through as quickly and safely as possible.

Before re-entering the lane in which the truck is travelling, wait until you see both of the truck's headlights in your rear-view mirror. This will ensure you are an adequate distance from the truck.

Lastly, be sure you maintain your speed when you are in front of a truck. Truck drivers work hard to get up to normal highway speeds, sometimes shifting through as many as 15 gears. For this reason trucks take longer to get up to highway speed and must work harder to maintain their speed.

Remember trucks

make wide turns

Always pay close attention to truck turn signals. Many car drivers do not realize that a truck approaching an intersection to make a right turn may move to the left to avoid running the trailer onto the curb. As the truck moves left, a narrow, temporary lane is created to its right. At this point, the driver of a car may move to the right side of the truck and become vulnerable to a "squeeze" when the truck swings into its right turn.

Keep the centre lane open

The centre lane is the trucker's passing lane. On many major roadways transport trucks are forbidden from using the high speed (far left) lane. That means they rely on the centre lane as their passing lane. If you travel in the centre lane be sure you are travelling at the posted speed limit.

Keep your distance

Keep a large space cushion around your car — increase your space cushion even more when near large vehicles like trucks and buses. They need extra space and time to manoeuvre and stop.

Watch out

for blind spots

Any area where a vehicle's visibility is restricted is called a blind spot. The driver of a vehicle may not see persons and other vehicles in these blind spots. Larger vehicles generally have larger blind spots. Here are a few tips that will help you to deal with these blind spots: • Driving Behind Trucks: If you can see the truck's mirrors, then the driver can probably see your vehicle. You may make your vehicle more visible by positioning it slightly left of the centre of the lane. • Driving Beside Trucks: When you must drive beside a truck, do not assume that its driver is aware of your presence. Take extra precautions when overtaking and always try to anticipate changes in traffic flow. • Driving in Front of Trucks: Be sure to provide clear indications of your intentions and avoid making sudden changes in speed. Try to anticipate changes in traffic flow before the changes impact on you.