Is your company prepared in the event of an accident? Idealease Safety Bulletin - February 7, 2020
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Tips and information in this week's edition:
1. Is your company prepared in the event of an accident?
Have a clear and direct plan in place that will be implemented when an accident occurs. Address the following items should an accident occur:
1. The safety and protection of the driver and public.
2. Protecting the company’s liability and physical damage exposure.
3. Provide information to Law Enforcement officials.
4. Control of progressive damage that may occur from the accident, including Hazardous material spills, cargo and the vehicles.
5. Compliance with State and Federal Regulations (such as drug and alcohol testing if required).
6. Documenting and protecting the physical evidence at the scene (Spoliation of evidence).
7. Securing witnesses to the accident.
8. Addressing the News Media and Social Media.
9. Having your vehicle towed to a safe and secure site.
Recommendations:
1. Put together an accident response team
2. Have an accident plan that outlines directions and responsibilities of the response team
3. Develop a written policy for drives to follow (reporting, conduct, responsibilities, drug and alcohol testing, etc)
4. Include accident scene training as part of new driver orientation
5. Place Accident Kits in all units (camera, accident report, pencil, and instructions)
Photographing an Accident Scene | Tips to Train Drivers:
1. Show the driver how to operate the camera, or make sure they have a digital camera with them. Have sample photos to set expectations.
2. Shoot all available pictures on the roll at the scene (if film) or make sure drivers know to shoot plenty of pictures.
3. Photograph all damaged and undamaged areas of vehicles, as well as the license plate of all vehicles involved.
4. Photograph the interior of vehicles - include safety equipment: seat belts, steering wheel, pedals and air bags.
5. Photograph accident scene from all angles.
6. Take pictures of roadway leading up to accident. Skid marks from all angles, including stationary objects, telephone poles, road signs, etc.
7. DO NOT take photos of anyone who has been injured or is deceased due to the accident. Photos of other occupants to document those involved are good - as well as any action immediately following (ie. driver changing tire, etc).
Question of the Week
"I struck a deer on the roadway and my vehicle is disabled. I pulled the vehicle onto the shoulder. Where am I required to place my reflective triangles to alert other drivers of the situation I am in?"
Answer: First activate your 4-way hazard flashers immediately. Next, place the warning reflective triangles as follows:
- One on the traffic side of and 4 paces (approximately 10 feet) from the stopped commercial motor vehicle in the direction of approaching traffic.
- One at 40 paces (100 feet) from the stopped commercial motor vehicle in the center of the traffic lane or shoulder occupied by the commercial motor vehicle and in the direction of approaching traffic.
- One at 40 paces (100 feet) from the stopped commercial motor vehicle in the center of the traffic lane or shoulder occupied by the commercial motor vehicle and in the direction away from approaching traffic.
- If a commercial motor vehicle is stopped within 500 feet of a curve, crest of a hill, or other obstruction to view, the driver shall place the warning signal in the direction of the obstruction to view a distance of 100 feet to 500 feet from the stopped commercial motor vehicle so as to afford ample warning to other users of the highway.
- If a commercial motor vehicle is stopped upon the traveled portion or the shoulder of a divided or one-way highway, the driver shall place the warning devices as follows, one warning device at a distance of 200 feet and one warning device at a distance of 100 feet in a direction toward approaching traffic in the center of the lane or shoulder occupied by the commercial motor vehicle. He or she shall place one warning device at the traffic side of the commercial motor vehicle within 10 feet of the rear of the commercial motor vehicle.
FMCSA Provides Advice on Clearinghouse Queries:
“I am trying to conduct the pre-employment query, but the Clearinghouse says it cannot verify the driver’s CDL information.” The Clearinghouse checks the CDL information you entered with the States’ CDL systems, which tracks driver CDLs nationwide. If the information you entered does not verify, make sure you have entered the driver’s CDL information correctly. If the CDL number has special characters (such as spaces, dashes, or leading zeros), try entering the CDL number with or without these characters, as requirements vary by State.
“I was able to submit the consent request, but the driver does not see it in his/her dashboard.” First, make sure the driver has a verified CDL in their Clearinghouse profile. Have the driver log in to his or her Clearinghouse account. If the driver has not verified his or her CDL information, there will be a message on his or her Driver Dashboard with next steps prompting him or her to do so. Once the driver has verified their CDL, the pending consent request should display on their Driver Dashboard.
If you have confirmed that the driver has verified his or her CDL information in the Clearinghouse, and the driver still does not see the pending consent request, try sending a new consent request (you can cancel the pending consent request, which will credit your query balance). This time, when you enter the CDL information, enter it exactly as the driver entered it in the Clearinghouse, including all zeroes, dashes, special characters, etc.
If you follow these steps and still encounter issues, please contact us or call (844) 955-0207.
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