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Safety Bulletin - Drivers, Trucks and Winter Conditions | October 25th, 2019

Oct. 25 2019 News By Carrie LeBlanc

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The October 25th edition of the weekly Idealsafe Bulletin is here! View highlights below and download to review the bulletin in its entirety. 

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VIEW AND DOWNLOAD the 'Drivers, Trucks and Winter Conditions' brought to you by Idealease.

In this edition:

  1.  Winter Driving Tips for the Driver and the Vehicle: Make sure your truck is prepared for winter driving! Tires are the most important aspect of keeping your vehicle under control in snow and ice. Here are a few tips and reminders for safe winter driving:
    1.  Chains? Are they in good condition and ready to be installed? Check out chain laws here: https://www.tirechainsrequired.com/pages/tire-chain-laws  
    2. Lights! Turn them on to increase visibility to others. 
    3. Cruise Control - do not use on snowy or icy roads!
    4. Bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads - these will freeze first! Be careful
    5. Brakes - don't 'pump' brakes if your truck is equipped with ABS brakes
    6. Drive Slowly!
    7. Pay Attention - anticipate your next move and give yourself room for turns and stops
    8. Don't tailgate! Leave 4 vehicle lengths between you and the vehicle in front of you for every 10 mph you are driving
    9. Brake before making turns - reduce speed before entering turns
    10. Drive smoothly - do not make abrupt turns or stops
    11. Be familiar with your vehicle - be aware of weight condition of your truck! As load and weight decrease, the handling of the truck in snow and ice will change. 
    12. Learn how to control skids - when skidding, you need to go against your natural instincts and turn into the skid and accelerate.  This helps transfer the weight from the front to the back and often helps vehicles regain control. 
  2. Winter Tips to Follow Concerning the Vehicle: 
    1. Diesel supplements added to fuel tanks as temps drop below 32 degrees
    2. Block heaters are plugged in when unit is not in use
    3. Initial startup in this order: unplug block heater before start up, ignition in "on" position, if equipped with "wait for glow plus" light, wait for light to go out, start unit, once running, unit should be brought up to temperature before operating
    4. If equipped with air brakes and air tank, pull cords and/or drain orifices, you should purge tanks daily, make sure the system airs to 120psi and listen for the air drier to purge the system clean of moisture. 
    5. Make sure all fluids are up, including window wash. Check DEF, Wet Kits, etc
    6. Make sure wiper blades are functional, all glass/mirrors clean and if equipped, heated mirrors are functional.  Make sure head/tail/turn lights are clean and operational. 
    7. If you have driven in snow/slush, have brakes applied to clean off and dry the shoes, drums, pads and rotors to prevent them from freezing while unit is parked. 
    8. Ensure steps and grab handles are clean and dry to avoid slipping
    9. Make sure chains are the correct size, properly secured, clean and not broken so they can be applied as needed. 
    10. Dress warm and have extra clothing in case the unit breaks or shuts down. 

The US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration contains links to weather and road conditions: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo/index.htm 

3. FMCSA is urging drivers to also register for the drug and alcohol clearinghouse.

On and after January 6, 2020, all companies that use drivers who have a Commercial Driver’s License or a Commercial Learner’s Permit must do four things:

  1. Register with the FMCSA to use the clearinghouse. Registration is now available on the FMCSA website.
  2. Upload information to the Clearinghouse on any drug or alcohol violations by any CDL driver that your company uses.
  3. Query the Clearinghouse for drug or alcohol violations by any prospective CDL driver that your company is considering hiring or contracting to use to operate a commercial motor vehicle.
  4. Companies must also annually query the database for information about all current CDL drivers they use.

 4. November 3-10 is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week - The National Sleep Foundation designed this educational campaign to help save lives by increasing awareness to the dangers of driving while sleepy. It is estimated that drowsy driving causes at lease 100,000 accidents and kills more than 1,550 Americans each year. Click here for more information on Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. 

5. DOT Announces Audit of FMCSA's CDL Oversights on Driver Disqualifications - FMCSA reviews state commercial driver's license (CDL) programs annually to determine whether they comply with CDL regulations. After a fatal crash involving a commercial driver in Massachusetts, the state's Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) revealed that it had not systematically processed out-of-state notifications of driver convictions for several years.

6. Time to 'Fall Back' on November 3rd! Daylight savings time is almost here.

7. Large-Truck-Related Crash fatalities increased again in 2018 - Fatalities for crashes involving large trucks rose 0.9% from 2017 to 2018 according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). The increase occurred despite the overall 2.4 percent decline in overall fatalities on U.S. roads - the second straight year of declining overall numbers. Overall, the total number of people killed in highway crashes fell from 37,473 people in 2017 to 36,560 in 2018. The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled also decreased by 3.4% to 1.13%, the lowest rate since 2014.

DRIVE SAFE!