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 The
brightly colored leaves of Fall remind us that Old Man Winter is right
around the corner. Now is a good time to refresh the winter driving skills of
your drivers.
Most weather related truck accidents, happen during the
transition between fall and winter. Experienced drivers who would ordinarily
know how to handle winter driving, have had their skills dulled by many months
of good, summer running conditions. Once winter is well upon us, their
skills will be renewed. However, during the transition period they rely on their
long used, summer driving skills instead of their winter driving skills. It's
not really winter, yet! So, I won't really worry about it, yet! Right!
Here are some important winter driving tips to relay to
drivers:
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The fall/winter transition period is probably the most
dangerous. Temperatures fluctuate rapidly and you can go from dry roads to
black-ice in a heartbeat. Temperatures between 25°& 40° F are probably
the most dangerous. At these temperatures ice and snow will usually contain
surface moisture, making it extremely slippery.
-
Drivers must adjust their speed to the conditions.
Driving too fast for conditions is by far the largest contributor to weather
related accidents. In some cases, the only appropriate speed is 0 mph. Let
your drivers know that it's OK to pull over and wait out the weather.
-
Take slush seriously. Slushy roads are probably the most
dangerous and least respected road conditions. Drivers feel that because of
the weight of their truck, they can easily push through the slush to the
roadway. This is not true. Slush is not only slippery, but it creates hydroplaning
which lifts the tires off the roadway. The only way to reduce hydroplaning,
is to reduce your speed.
-
Drive defensively when it comes to bridge decks and
shaded areas. Frost or ice can form easily in these areas even though the
rest of the roadway is dry.
-
Have your drivers re-educate their posteriors. Just
slightly behind the brain in importance, the driver's rear-end is an
important road sensor. A driver can feel how his/her truck is reacting to
road conditions. A jackknife will always give you a warning before it
happens. However, your posterior must be sensitive enough to feel that
warning.
-
Watch for tire spray. If you're running on what looks
like a wet roadway and you can't see any tire spray in your rear-view
mirrors, it is probably black ice. Slow down gently and get off the road
until conditions improve.
When using the proper skills, winter driving is no more
difficult than any other driving. It does take a different set of skills, and now
is the ideal time to refresh those skills.
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