July 17th Idealease Safety Bulletin - Work Zone Awareness

The July 17th edition of the weekly Idealease Safety Bulletin has arrived!

Find useful safety tips for all transportation professionals and stay up-to-date on recent updates and changes to industry regulations.  Be sure to sign up to receive our timely tips straight to your inbox each week! Click here to download this week's edition, or click the thumbnail below for the PDF version to share with your team! 

In this important issue, find information on the following items: 

1. Work Zone Awareness - 10 TIPS FOR DRIVING SAFELY IN WORK ZONES:

1. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED! (Normal speed limits may be reduced, traffic lanes may be changed, and people may be working on or near the road.)
2. SLOW DOWN and TURN ON YOUR FOUR WAY FLASHERS. (Speeding is one of the major causes of work zone crashes.)
3. DON'T TAILGATE! KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF YOU. (The most common crash in a highway work zone is the rear end collision. So, don't tailgate.)
4. KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOUR VEHICLE AND THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AND THEIR EQUIPMENT.
5. PAY ATTENTION TO THE SIGNS! (The warning signs are there to help you and other drivers move safely through the work zone. Observe the posted signs until you see the one that says you've left the work zone.)
6. OBEY ROAD CREW FLAGGERS! (The flagger knows what is best for moving traffic safely in the work zone. A flagger has the same authority as a regulatory sign, so you can be cited for disobeying his or her directions.)
7. STAY ALERT AND MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS! (Dedicate your full attention to the roadway and avoid changing radio stations or using cell phones while driving in a work zone.
8. KEEP UP WITH THE TRAFFIC FLOW. (Motorists can help maintain traffic flow and posted speeds by merging as soon as possible. Don't drive right up to the lane closure and then try barge in.)
9. SCHEDULE ENOUGH TIME TO DRIVE SAFELY AND CHECK RADIO, TV AND WEBSITES FOR TRAFFIC INFORMATION. (Expect delays and leave early so you can reach your destination on time. Check the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse for information on work zone delays throughout the country.)
10. BE PATIENT AND STAY CALM. (Work zones aren't there to personally inconvenience you. Remember, the work zone crew members are working to improve the road and make your future drive better.)

2. Brake Safety Week to Remain on CVSA's Calendar of Events - Taking place August 23rd- 29th

• Effort to reduce brake-related crashes and remove unsafe Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs) from the roadways
• Roadside inspectors will pay special attention to hoses and tubing
• A CMV's brake components must work together to slow and stop a vehicle. If the brake hoses/tubing are not working properly, it can affect the entire braking system and create a safety issue.
  
  To function properly, hoses and tubing must be:
  • Properly attached
  • Without damage and leaks
  • Flexible

3.  Idealease Safety Webinar Series to start up August 12th

Look for registration information in future safety bulletins

4. FMCSA Announces another extension to its Emergency Exemption

This latest extension contains the same restrictions and conditions as the July 14th extension (as detailed below). A number of items and personnel were no longer eligible for the emergency declaration as of June 15, 2020.

Who qualifies?
The revised exemption is limited to the transportation of:
Livestock and livestock feed; Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19; and Supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19, such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap, and disinfectants.

Under the emergency declaration, eligible motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance in support of relief efforts related to the COVID-19 outbreak are not required to comply with Parts 390 through 399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. This includes rules covering hours of service, vehicle inspections, and driver qualification, among others.

What is direct assistance?
Direct assistance means transportation and other relief services provided by a motor carrier or its drivers related to the immediate restoration of essential supplies like meat or disinfectants.
Direct assistance does not include routine commercial deliveries. Also, it does not include transportation of mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of the emergency.

Direct assistance ends when a driver or commercial motor vehicle (CMV) is used in interstate commerce to transport cargo or provide services that are not in support of emergency relief efforts or when the motor carrier dispatches a driver or CMV to another location to begin operations in commerce.

A driver who provides relief assistance may travel back to his or her terminal with an empty CMV under the exemption.

Some rules unaffected
Drivers and motor carriers operating under this exemption must continue to comply with the commercial driver's license, drug and alcohol testing, financial responsibility (insurance), hazardous materials, and size and weight requirements.

The FMCSA's emergency declaration says drivers and carriers must also comply with:

All applicable state laws and regulations, including speed limits and other traffic restrictions; 49 CFR §392.3, which prohibits the operation of a CMV while the driver is too ill or fatigued to drive safely; and Prohibitions on texting while driving and using a handheld cell phone while driving.

The declaration also includes a need to provide fatigued drivers with 10 hours of rest upon completion of their relief efforts.

Finally, the declaration requires motor carriers to report any recordable crashes to the FMCSA office in the state where the carrier is based. The notification must be made by phone or in writing within 24 hours and include the date, time, location, driver, vehicle identification, and brief description of the crash.

Termination date
The latest exemption will remain in place until 11:59 pm Eastern Time on August 14, 2020, or until the national emergency is terminated, whichever happens first.

Visit https://www.idealease.com/safety-bulletins for a collection of all past bulletins and more!