Safe Driving Tips for Truck Drivers
Twenty-three percent of collisions that involve commercial trucks occur because drivers transgress safe speed limits, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation website. Painfully slow traffic, weather precipitation and certain roads may make truck drivers want to exceed speed limits to reach their destinations sooner. Construction work zones, curves and intersections are other factors that can slow a driver and trigger such behavior. Traveling at unsafe speed limits can be fatal for not only truck drivers but also for the general public. Knowing some safety-oriented truck-driving tips can help drivers to stick to safe driving.
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Slow Down in Poor Travel Conditions
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Uneven roads or other adverse road conditions can make driving unpleasant. Adverse weather conditions such as rain, snow or ice make roads slippery and reduce visibility. Reduce your speed limit to match these conditions. Most fatal crashes are the result of speeding, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation website; by increasing your speed you will be increasing the incidence rate of severe collisions. Cut down your speed to 2/3 of your normal speed when you are on damp roads, and slow down by half or greater when driving on snow-filled roads. Drive slowly and with more caution on icy roads, and stop your vehicle on the roadside if you are lose confidence that your truck can maintain traction.
Handle Curves With Caution
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Forty percent of deaths resulting from unsafe driving speeds occur in curves, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Safe speed limits denoted by warning boards at curves apply to passenger vehicles, not to huge trucks. Large trucks need to slow down to a speed even lower than that indicated on a signboard. It is possible for large trucks maneuvering the curve entrance while moving at the signboard speed limit to lose control and turn over. Avoid applying brakes while maneuvering a curve, as this can result in truck wheels getting locked up and the vehicle skidding.
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Beware of Work Zones
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Slow down when in the proximity of a construction work zone. Get into the right lane before entering the work zone. Ready yourself and your truck to adjust to sudden demands of slowing down or stopping. Large trucks constituted to almost 1/4 of all work-zone fatalities reported in 2006, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is better to be safe than be sorry.
Exercise Greater Caution With Loaded Trailers
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Drive at a consistently moderate speed if your truck has a loaded trailer. Lowering or increasing your speed suddenly can result in the trailer's cargo shifting, which can cause a truck to skid or turn over. Huge truck trailers that carry loads up to full capacity are 10 times more at risk of rolling over than trucks with empty trailers, according to U.S. Department of Transportation.
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