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Safety
Talks 2004
SAFETY TALK!
Friday June 25,
2004
Buckle up! The life you
save could be yours!
Summer is here and so are
vacationers and construction zones. The
vacationers ARE NOT
paying attention to anything but the
"Are we there yet??" being screamed from the back
seat. Therefore, you must be the professional
driver and go the extra mile in yielding the right
of way. Be aware of the inconsiderate driver
sneaking up on the right side in an attempt to cut
you off at the lane closure. Let him in; you will
feel better about yourself as a human being, your
fender will stay attached to your truck, and the
building road rage will calm.
And of course: remember, always
buckle your seat belt -- it's the law
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday July 8,
2004
Slow Down, Save Lives,
Save Fuel, Save Wear and Tear
It’s time to take a
good look at how fast you are driving and why.
Excessive speed is a factor in 31% of all fatal
crashes killing an average of 1,000 people per
month. This happens because of the physics of
energy; increasing speed from 40 to 60 is a 50%
increase in speed. The energy released in a crash
more than doubles (1) as speed
increases; the energy released continues to
increase. This alone is reason enough to slow
down, but there are other reasons to consider.
According to ATA’s “The Maintenance Council” (2) ,
each reduction of a mile an hour equals a 0.1 mile
per gallon gain. To put this in perspective look
at the following chart based on $1.60 per
gallon
Miles/Yr - 80,000
Speed - 70mph MPG - 5.5 Gal Used
- 14,545 Cost - $23,272
Miles/Yr - 80,000 Speed -
65mph MPG - 6.0 Gal Used -
13,333 Cost - $21,333
Miles/Yr - 80,000 Speed -
60mph MPG - 6.5 Gal Used -
12,307 Cost - $19,691
As you can see, cutting
speed from 70 mph to 60 mph will save you
approximately $3,581.00 per year in fuel cost.
This does not include the savings from decreased
tire and brake wear. Let’s do the right thing and
have the best of both worlds- slow down, save
lives --- and money.
1 http://www.securityworld.com/
2 http://heavydutytrucking.com/2004/02/008a0402.asp
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday July 15,
2004
Lane change crashes are
very dangerous and very preventable. According to
the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, there were 539,000 two-vehicle
lane change crashes in 1999; this accounted for 9%
of all police reported motor vehicle collisions.
Large trucks accounted for 10% of these; that's
approximately 1,036 per week. When a semi is
involved in such a crash with a car, bad things
happen. We can pin the car under the trailer and
drag them along; we can run them over or bounce
them off the car on the other side. If we catch
the rear quarter panel, they will typically spin
in front of you. We can avoid this situation by
doing three things: first- eliminate blind spots.
Install fender mounted spot mirrors and use them.
Also, follow cars in your mirror as they go by to
see where you have blind spots. Then, keep an eye
on traffic approaching from the rear so that
you know if a car is missing in the blind spot
beside you. And most of all, remember if you
aren't passing people, you won't need to change
lanes. Solution - SLOW DOWN. Move a little slower
than traffic and stay in your lane.
SAFETY TALK!
Monday July 26,
2004
Load Securement
There is a lot of talk about the
new standards for load securement. So I will
summarize the changes or points of discussion that
pertain to us. First of all, anything that is over
5 feet long or weighs more than 1,100 pounds
requires at least 2 straps. Anything over 10 feet
requires a third strap and an additional strap is
required for each additional 10 feet.
An example would be a plastic pipe
48 feet long. This would require a minimum of
6 straps; however, 3 twelve foot pipes placed end
to end would require 3 each or 9 straps
total.
Another factor when determining
how many straps are necessary is weight. The
capacity of the straps must equal one half of the
weight of the load. If the straps do not have a
legible rating on them then the capacity is as
follows; 2 inch = 2,000 lbs, 3 inch= 3,000 lbs, 4
inch = 4,000 lbs. So if you have a 48,000
lb load you will need 12 two inch straps, 8
three inch straps or 6 four inch straps. More
straps is never a problem. When hauling bag goods,
the front and rear pallets need 2 straps and the
middle pallets need 1 strap.
Also as a point of clarification
393.104fsub4 of the motor carrier safety
regulations says:
“All tie-downs and other
components of a cargo securement system used to
secure loads on a trailer equipped with rub rails,
must be located inboard the rub rails whenever
practicable”. Remember chains connect to the stake
pockets, not the rub rail.
The DOT report can be linked
through our links page under DOT cargo
standards.
Also see "stake pocket strap winch
sets" under the shurco link.
See expediterfreight.com for the
above links.
SAFETY
TALK!
Friday July 30,
2004
“CRASH” : UGLY WORD - UGLY
SOUNDS
Breaking glass, deforming
metal, and crushing plastic and fiberglass. It’s a
sound I hope none of you ever have to hear. You
can go a long way to distance yourself from the
situations that breed crashes. Stay away from
other vehicles- don’t ever tailgate and leave even
more room coming into and going through
construction zones. Be aware of stop lights; a
rule of thumb is if you didn’t see it turn green
you will probably see it turn red so be the
reasonable man and prepare to stop. The last thing
you want to do is find a car in the middle of an
intersection when you are running a red light.
Something else to think about : the police will
soon make disregarding automatic signals a point
of emphasis and that ticket is equal to reckless
driving. One other thing to mention is run under
accidents -these happen when drivers make U-turns
slowly pulling across the road and someone hits
them broadside potentially decapitating everyone
in the front seat. For the record, there is nev!
er a justification for making a U-turn. If you are
on the interstate, go to the next interchange to
turn around. If you are in town, go around the
block.
Always buckle you seatbelt. It not
only makes sense, it’s the law.
SAFETY
TALK!
Thursday
August 5, 2004
SCHOOL'S STARTING
Attention: in case you
didn’t notice, schools are opening as early as
this week. This means school busses, school
crossings, and all the other activities associated
with the opening of a new school year. Now is the
time for you to be the professional driver; those
16 and 17 year old kids driving to school are
thinking about everything but driving. Think about
mothers taking the kids to school. They are trying
to serve breakfast and help finish the art project
-- how much do you think they are paying attention
to you? As you drive your truck, you must pay very
close attention to every one around you; they will
do something stupid. You must always anticipate
school busses before you pop over a rise in the
road and find one stopped. You certainly don’t
want to hit a school buss or run over a child as
you illegally pass one that has stopped. The
entire school year is a problem but the first
month is the worst. No one has the routine down.
So slow down! Pay attention! Have a safe school
year.
Expediter Freight System, Inc.
drivers - we will join in with Great West Casualty
Co. to bring you Enforcer King Pin Locks. Normally
through Great West, we can get them for you at
$85.00. However, any Expediter Freight System,
Inc. driver who orders one through this office by
Aug.13, 2004 can get one for $50.00 and we will
pay the other $35.00. Together we can protect our
equipment and cargo. http://transportsecurity.com/king-pin-lock.asp .
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday August 13,
2004
Equipment Visibility
Effective June 1, 2001, all
commercial vehicles are required to have
reflective tape covering 50% of the sides of the
trailer. It must be evenly spaced front to
back. The tape must show the top and width on the
back of the trailer or bulkhead and run full
across the back of the bed as well as the DOT
bumper. The U.S. Dept. of Transportation credits
reflective tape with preventing as many as 7800
crashes per year, thus preventing 191 and 350
fatalities and also preventing as many 5000
injuries per year. These regulations also pertain
to tractors. You must have tape across the mud
flaps and at the top and sides of the back of the
tractor. These are minimum requirements; if you
choose to run tape across the back of the cab that
would be acceptable. If you need tape, most truck
or trailer parts departments have it. There
is also a link to sunflower sign for 3m
conspicuity kits.
www.conspicuity.com/kits.htm
It is important to be seen. It is
also the law, so let's all look over our equipment
and make sure it meets or exceeds the
standards.
Please note tape placement on
pictures at the following website, courtesy of
Reliable Diesel Truck and Trailer Repair -
http://www.truckroadservice.com
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday August 13,
2004
What have you done to promote
safety lately ?
According to Peter Van Dyne of
Liberty Mutual, trucking companies that require
seat belt use have a 50% lower crash frequency. Do
you buckle every time you drive? It’s the law, but
you already knew that. Mr. Van Dyne also points
out that trucking companies that set governors
below 70 mph had a 35% lower crash frequency.
Surely you would not exceed 70 mph since that is
above the posted limit in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky,
Illinois and Michigan. Did you race someone to the
gap and thus cut them off? Or did you back off and
let them in? These are some things that you can do
to improve the chances of the people around you
getting home safely. Sure, that guy who cut you
off is a jerk, but should you be the one to
enforce the death sentence for the crime of being
a jerk? Back off and hope like hell that someone
else gives your kid the same break.
Another thing you can do is always
check your turn signals and break lights every
time you get out of the truck to confirm that they
work. And then, use them. People are much more
likely to work with you if they can see your
intentions.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday August 26,
2004
Tailgating is an inexcusable act
that encourages road rage, causes crashes and
gives the trucking industry a bad name. When I
read the news stories about the
horrible crash
out side of Laramie, WY on August 19, 2004, I saw
the initial
statements from the police saying
that fog, wet roads, and speeding drivers
were
factors. What I wondered, however, was how closely
were the original
seven tractor trailers
following each other. If drivers are playing
“Convoy”,
they are begging for this exact
situation. They throw away all opportunity to
react to changing conditions or to driving
emergencies. Both of these
circumstances would
have happened at Laramie. As the fog closed in,
driving
conditions changed and as stated in
the news stories, they changed fast. In a
situation like this, all it would take is one
person who didn’t slow down in
unison and
every one behind him is reacting to an emergency.
I have no proof that
this is what happened at
Laramie, but I do know that this type of thing
happens every day of the week and the
potential exists every time drivers
throw
reason out of their windows and become a “Convoy”
hazard-- or menace.
You know that you
should be at least six seconds behind the vehicle
in front
of you. That is 484 feet at 55 mph.
Your truck/trailer is approximately 65
feet
long; that would be roughly 7.5 truck trailer
lengths or a city block
behind the person in
front of you. A rule of thumb-- if you can
see the license plate, you are too
close.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday September 2,
2004
Have you
ever been in a driving situation where you found
your heart rate jump and for just a moment you
could feel the perspiration under your arms? Maybe
you could even feel some moisture on your
forehead? You probably uttered a discouraging
word. Most of the time, that is the end of it. But
let’s face it. Any time you experience the above,
you screwed up. I would estimate that over 90% of
the time lack of attention or trying to push
conditions is at play. Only luck or someone else
paying attention saved you from a crash. These
crashes are completely avoidable. We must adjust
to changing conditions. It is obvious that we must
be more diligent when it starts to rain or snow.
But how often do you slow down and back off when
traffic starts to build and you lose your
six-second following distance? How often did you
assume that the stoplight would stay green or that
it would change from red to green before you got
to it? There are dozens of dangerous situations
that abound when you don’t act professionally that
quickly disappear when you take responsibility for
yourself and your equipment while on the
road.
SAFETY
TALK!
Thursday
September 9, 2004
Some of
you have already noticed that Expediter Freight
System, Inc. is switching the lights on the back
of our trailers to LED lights. There is a modest
cost incurred in this update but we are sold on
the improvement in safety. The LED lights have a
life expectancy of 100,000 hours. Since there are
8760 hours in a year, there are over 11 years of
continual use. We are trying to avoid having a
brake light or turn signal out and contributing to
a crash. Of course, you, the driver are still
required by DOT regulations to check your lights
at the start and end of each driving shift. We
recommend checking the lights every time you get
out of the truck. Remember just because the bulb
should last 10 years doesn't mean a wire won't
break somewhere.
The reason
for the above discussion is to encourage you to
look into changing the tail lights, brake lights,
and turn signals on your tractor to LED lights.
The advantage to you is that Led lights are not as
susceptible to vibration and water damage. This
means you won’t be replacing tractor taillights
all the time and people behind can see your
intentions when you
bobtail.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday September 16,
2004
Cell
phones are a very critical part of our operation
and when used correctly, they are a tool that we
can not do without. But we must use them in a safe
and prudent manner. If you are in traffic and the
call can wait, put it off. If you must talk, get
the information and get off the phone quickly. It
goes without saying though that you should not be
driving, talking, and writing at the same time.
There is a way that cell phones can be of value
that we have not yet taken advantage of; I am
speaking of picture phones. If you have one and
have a question about a load, you can send a
picture directly to the office and we could all
see the same thing. Jobsites are another place
that picture phones could be of value. So if you
are looking to replace your cell phone, consider
the values of a picture
phone.
SAFETY
TALK!
Thursday
September 22, 2004
Winter’s
coming and you don’t want to be cold on the side
of the road. It’s still warm, so now is the time
to perform winter maintenance on your equipment.
Make a check list that includes antifreeze, belts,
air lines, air filters, tires, brakes and maxi
canisters. You will need to drain the water out of
your air systems and your fuel system. Remember to
drain the air tanks on the trailer also. If you
have an air dryer, it should be serviced; if you
don’t have one, installing one would be money well
spent. It doesn’t take much ice to stop a semi. A
little time spent now could save a lot of cold,
expensive time later.
SAFETY
TALK!
Thursday
September 30, 2004
I was
on 465 the other day and three of our competitor’s
trucks went by. The third truck was running about
120 feet behind the first truck. Even were there
not a truck between them, the third truck did not
have room to react. He could not see the first
truck; his only indicator of a problem would be
the smoke coming off the second truck’s tires as
he locked up on his brakes. However, even this
doesn’t help now, as all of our trucks have
anti-lock brakes. But the smoke would mean the
second truck was already slowing down and that it
will be approximately 237 feet before his brakes
take full effect. To put this into perspective,
the second truck will impact the first halfway
through his stop or at about 30 mph. Meanwhile,
the third truck will be approximately 217 feet
into the 237 feet of brake activation which makes
a combined impact of 70mph. You can visualize the
trauma that this alone will cause without taking
into account any unfortunate cars in the general
vicinity as the trailers jackknife and the loads
begin flying. This is the sort of situation we
want to avoid at all costs. If you are running
with a friend, isn’t he the last one you want to
put into a hospital or out of work
anyway?
Buckle up – be safe, be
legal.
The
time and distance numbers were courtesy of Marvin
Johnson and Associates and can be accessed through
them. Contact information is available on their
website at http://www.mjai.com.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday October 07,
2004
It’s
fall.
Soon, we
will have the pleasure of raking leaves. But
first, they will change color on the trees. We all
know what that means; people will be driving
around looking at leaves. THEY WILL DO SOMETHING
STUPID! If you are on a two lane road, expect it.
They might stop; they might just slow down; they
could make a turn in front of you. Remember, if
you don’t look like a tree, they don’t see you.
Give more distance than normal; be aware of the
cars in front and behind; they may be tree looking
too. There are some fantastic sceneries on the
interstates. Keep your eyes open; people may
be too busy looking at trees to see
you.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday October 15,
2004
A word about safety belts:
79% of passenger car drivers wear seat belts;
48% of truck drivers wear them. In 2002, 588
commercial drivers were killed. Half of them
(almost 300 drivers) were not buckled. 171 drivers
were ejected from the truck; of those, 80%
(approximately 140) were not wearing safety belts.
These statistics do not include the fatalities
that would not occurred had the driver stayed in
his seat and maintained or regained control after
the initial impact or after running off of the
road.
The DOT is launching a program in conjunction
with law enforcement and inspection personnel to
increase safety belt usage. (This means tickets
will be issued!)
It‘s time to get the message. Safety Belt use:
Smart, Safe and Required.
Statistics courtesy of Great West Casualty
Company
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday October 21,
2004
In
preparation for the Safety meeting November 6,
2004, I revisited the crash records since our last
meeting. When I put the incidents on a spreadsheet
and took out the incidents where we didn’t have to
pay a claim or where someone else paid us, what I
had left was a collection of every possible way to
make contact with a non-moving object. One
collision was with a car at a stop light where the
driver was too close and lost track of the car.
Every other collision was with a pole or an
unattended vehicle. These are situations of not
paying attention. After a pole is hit, I always
hear that it was all scraped up and had been
bumped before. That is not a justification for
hitting it; instead, that says that you already
noticed the pole and should have been on alert.
You should have been paying closer attention. “Get
out and look” is always the best policy; sometimes
it is prudent to get out and look more than once
if you are in a tight space. If someone is
directing you, always ask yourself these
questions: Does he have a good view? Does he know
what to look for? Does he care? Most importantly,
is he in fact paying attention? Remember when it
is all said and done, you have the responsibility
for your vehicle and the objects around
it.
Buckle up
- the life you save might be
yours.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday October 28,
2004
Construction zones are still a nuisance
on the highways and will be so for at least
another month. This is one place where we must pay
particular attention to our surroundings. As you
come to the construction zone, watch for drivers
who will cut you off. Give them room; it takes a
lot less time than filling out an accident report.
Once in the construction zone, maintain a larger
than normal following distance. This will give you
space in case the vehicles in front of you stop
suddenly or in case something blows or falls into
the lane in front of you. As you leave the
construction zone, remember that impatient drivers
will race around you so you should be prepared to
take evasive action so that you do not become
involved in their accident. And remember, the
speed zones are lower, the fines are higher, and
the police enforcements are stricter in
construction zones.
Always
buckle your seatbelt - its the
law.
SAFETY
TALK!
Thursday November
04, 2004
The
safety bonus program for 2004 - 2005 will reward
drivers who have an entire year of safe operation.
The program targets both accidents and a major
cause of accidents -speeding and moving
violations. To participate, drivers must satisfy
the following
requirements:
1. Attend
both the 2004 and 2005 safety
meetings.
2. Not be
involved in a preventable accident for the year
Oct. 1, 2004 through Oct. 1,
2005
3. Not be
ticketed for a moving violation from Oct.1, 2004
through Oct.1, 2005
4. Drive
a minimum of 30,000 miles during the same period
The pay
out is such:
30,000 to 50,000 miles with no
moving violations:
$150.00
with one
moving violation, the bonus will be reduced by
$100.00
a
preventable accident or more than one moving
violation and you lose all
bonus
50,000 to 75,000 miles with no
out of service violation:
$275.00
with one
moving violation, bonus will be reduced by
$150.00
a
preventable accident or more than one moving
violation and you lose all
bonus
Over 75,000 miles with no moving
violations: $400.00
with
moving violation, the bonus will be reduced by
$200.00
a
preventable accident or more than one moving
violation and you lose all
bonus
Let’s have a year both accident and
violation free.
SAFETY
TALK!
Thursday November
11, 2004
Just
because you get out of your truck does not mean
you can let your guard down. Around a flat bed
trailer, especially in a loading, unloading or
construction site, is a very dangerous place. You
must be aware of everything around you; the load
on a trailer can fall or be knocked off; there are
forklifts moving material around frequently with
obstructed vision. There are possibly cranes
moving overhead. All this adds up to a place where
one can be hurt very badly. Never get between a
forklift and a trailer. Watch that someone on the
other side of the trailer isn’t cutting bands.
Watch for something that could bump into the load
and cause it to fall on you. And if material is
moving overhead, you need to stay completely out
of the area. You also need to watch where you are
walking; there are ruts in construction sites,
sharp banding and other hazards lying in
wait.
Also, pay
attention to where other people are before cutting
bands or throwing straps or chains over a load. It
is amazing how many people get hurt, including the
driver himself, when they get hit by the hook of a
strap on a load.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday November
18, 2004
There is
no such thing as a minor
crash!
We
sometimes fall into a pattern of thinking that
it’s more or less okay to bump a car. We didn’t do
much damage, every one drove away, and that's the
last we hear of it. Right? Wrong! What happens
instead is that we have just put ourselves in the
position to pay for someone’s existing medical
setbacks. Think of the first five people that come
to mind: if they are over 40, then at least three
of them have a back, neck, or head problem. The
truck that bumps into the back of their car will
possibly buy medical care for them for several
years; their health insurance company will see to
it. The point I’m making is that even little bumps
can have big price tags. We must always be alert;
if you drive a high nose tractor, you must stay
aware of the cars in your front blind
spot.
Always
buckle your seat belt. It’s the law, makes good
sense, and it’s company policy.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday November 25, 2004
On
November 9, 2004, at approximately eight o'clock,
a small delivery truck failed to notice a school
bus stopped on U.S. 52, just
outside of
Stockwell, IN. He ignored the law that says you
must stop for the flashing red lights. He also
failed to take advantage of the open lane beside
the bus to avoid the crash. Ramming the back of
the bus was the result of his miserably failing
this driving test. Fortunately, he was driving a
small truck and only two children had to be flown
from the scene in a lifeline helicopter. What does
this have to do with us? Stop for a moment and
imagine the death and destruction that would have
occurred were he driving a semi. School busses are
everywhere. Pay attention: you don’t want to ever
fail the school bus test.
Remember
always buckle your seat belt. It’s the smart thing
to do.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday December 02, 2004
You are a
professional driver. But what does it mean to be
professional? The dictionary defines professional
as “one who is suitable for or has an assured
competence in a particular field or occupation.”
That means someone who knows the job and does it
well.
So the
question is, “Are you a professional”? In order to
answer yes, you must drive within the speed
and condition limits, wear a seat belt, have a
current log book, not tailgate, and be courteous
to all people you meet in an office or on the
road. I know that everyone working with Expediter
Freight System, Inc. is professional most of the
time. Let’s strive to be completely professional
100% of the time.
SAFETY
TALK!
Thursday December 10, 2004
Remember:
winter driving requires more care and skill than
summer driving. It’s dark at rush hour; salt dims
headlights and cold air causes icing on bridges.
We also experience more rain meaning more snow and
ice on the roadways. The secret is to keep proper
spacing. As we get into winter conditions, we need
to expand following distances; we recommend taking
the 6 second following distance rule and instead
use an 8 second distance. That will give you more
room in case of an
emergency.
Also,
buckle your seatbelt; winter is a bad time for an
unexpected departure from the
truck.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday December 17, 2004
The
weather is about to get cold and nasty and we need
to be aware of the issues of personal safety.
Drain all the air tanks on your tractor and
trailer if you have an air dryer. This would be a
good time to service it as well. If you don’t have
an air dryer, drain your air tanks at least once
every day. Don’t run your fuel as low in the tanks
as you would in the summer; you never know when
you will get stopped by an accident or a freak
storm and need to sit with the truck running.
Check the antifreeze to make sure that its freeze
point is below the temperature minimums of the
area you are traveling. Also, check heater hoses
and engine belts. Prepare in advance for bad
weather and reduce the chance of sitting on the
side of a cold road.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday January
6, 2005
I saw a
billboard the other day that said "BAD DRIVERS
NEXT 3000 MILES." If that doesn't sum up the
current driving situation, I don't know what
would. So with that in mind, we must be prepared
to help those who drive around us. A good example:
last week, I was in heavy traffic on I-65. Over a
rise, a police car was on the right side of the
road and a car was off the road on the left.
Someone saw this and slammed on their brakes; as
that got back to me, the cars were skidding to
stops. Since I was being tailgated by the car
behind me, I was giving some extra room in front.
That allowed me to give him enough room to stop
with out hitting me. Unfortunately, one of the
three cars behind me did not extend the same
courtesy because the third, fourth, and fifth cars
behind me peeled out of the line and the third and
fourth crashed in the median. The point here is
that if you watch your spacing, you can avoid both
hitting someone and also avoid being hit.
As
we come through the first test of foul weather,
this is a prudent time to restate the Expediter
Freight System, Inc. position on unsafe driving
conditions. There is NO load that is
better off in the ditch than on a trailer. There
is NO load that can justify an
Expediter Freight System, Inc. driver or a member
of the public being killed or injured. At the
point where snow or fog creates an unsafe driving
situation, get off the road. Pulling off onto the
shoulder does not greatly reduce the danger; you
need to get into an off road parking lot and wait
it out.
And
remember, seatbelts are necessary all the
time.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday January
13, 2005
We all
know what happens if you get caught drinking and
driving: you lose your
job.
There are
so many drunk-driving crashes that one in three
people claim to know someone killed or injured by
a drunk driver. According to the Federal Highway
Administration, that is a comparable statistic to
those who know someone killed or injured in
accidents caused by people running stop lights.
What would be the reasons for a professional
driver to run a stop light? Perhaps his brakes
were out of adjustment, causing an increase in
stopping distance. Proper maintenance would solve
that problem. Maybe the driver was speeding and
did not have his vehicle under control. Or was it
that he just wasn’t paying attention? All three of
the above can easily be corrected by paying
attention to driving and maintenance. The other
reason for a driver to run a stop light is because
he wanted to do it. Wouldn’t it be terrible to
intentionally run a stop light and kill
someone?
Some people would call that malice of
forethought. Stoplights are to safely control
traffic, so do your maintenance, pay attention,
and be prepared to
stop.
And as always, buckle your
seatbelt.
SAFETY TALK!
Thursday January
20, 2005
We have all heard the statistics
on how much a crash costs and we have a good idea
of the cost of roadside repairs following an out
of service violation. Well, here is something else
to think about. If you are placed out of service
in Ohio, you will be fined one hundred dollars per
violation. But Pennsylvania is
starting a new program (I expect other states to
follow suit) to fine for every violation whether
they are out of service or not. The fines range
from $50.00 for a license plate light to $600.00
for out of service brakes. Pennsylvania is making
the point that I have been trying to make for some
time. Do maintenance and properly inspect your
equipment. It is not only smart, it is cost
effective.
This is a
good time to check fire extinguishers; they must
be charged and mounted. You must also have a set
of triangle reflect
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