Could it have been avoided with better driver coaching? People dont always think of a torrential downpour the same way they think of a snowstorm, but heavy rain can impede visibility and cause hydroplaning, where the wheels come off the pavement and onto the surface of the water, causing drivers to lose control. Bus approaching. Pedestrians on the left. Approaching traffic. Freeing your car from deep mud or snow takes patience. While people use it interchangeably. If you need to brake suddenly, the car is likely to collide with yours. Allowing for the car turning left in front. In darkness, it is much harder to see and be seen by other drivers. He shares some of his best tips for driving safely: Chad posted a poll on his Facebook group, Rate Per Mile Masters, asking his followers (mostly owner-operators) about the best ways to prevent collisions when cornering or going downhill. Dislodging it while the vehicle is in motion is dangerous, so prevention is key: Make sure your mat is the right fit for your vehicle, is snapped in place if that option is available, and that you haven't stacked mats on top of each other. Gain insights into your fleet fuel use and identify ways to improve efficiency. Don't drive in neutral or with your foot on the clutch. You need to consider how likely it is that each hazard will cause harm Step 4: Record your Be mindful of slick roads and reduce your speed when the roadway is wet. At Motive, we believe in flexibility, connection and productivity from home, in the office, or anywhere in between. Vehicle waiting to turn across our path. Person crossing the road up in front. Watching for pedestrians up on the footpath on the left. Checking amongst the trees. There may be barriers, cones, heavy equipment, temporary signs, signal lights and workers in the roadway, prior to, during and beyond work sites. It could be a: As drivers gain experience they develop skills in scanning the road ahead and around them, and they become better at recognising that a potentially dangerous situation is developing. A blown front right tire will cause the vehicle to drift left, for example. When your visibility or vehicle control are impaired by adverse conditions, the guidance provided here and in your states driving manual will help you handle the situation. Pull over to the side of the road if you encounter glare severe enough to completely obscure other vehicles or road signs. Mapping out your trip in advance will minimize stress and ensure you do not miss vital exits on the freeway. Dealing with the vehicles coming towards us. Media Room, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Q&A on the present and future of crash avoidance technologies, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety information on in-vehicle safety technology. Vehicles changing lanes up ahead. There are several different kinds including: Distracted driving. It's important to learn how to recognise and avoid hazards while driving to improve road safety for yourself and other road users. Unfavorable weather and road conditions can create hazards that make driving difficult, and more dangerous. Reduce your speed before you enter a decline or uneven terrain. Visit gomotive.com to learn more. As you are about to enter a decline, reduce your speed below your feature's activation threshold. work at height, manual handling) maybe present during repair or maintenance of vehicles. Drivers should avoid passing, crossing or merging with other lanes of traffic in foggy conditions, as limited visibility may lead you to misjudge another vehicles distance and speed. For instance, it is always better to avoid a head-on collision, as it is to collide with a stationary object rather than with one that is moving toward you. 2. Car waiting to pull out. Is it safer to drive up or down a dangerous mountain road? Many parked cars on our left. It could be a: child chasing a ball onto the road. Every driver will occasionally find themselves in a situation where an accident or collision seems unavoidable. Your vehicle will likely sputter and die if vapor lock prevents gas from reaching the engine. Going over the crest of the hill. In many cases employees will also have to drive long distances while still undertaking a full days work.Driving hoursThese are likely to be linked in many cases to distances travelled.Work schedulesUnrealistic or badly organised work schedules can often result in employees takingchances with safety.StressDriving-related stress often occurs when the individual feels overwhelmed by thesurrounding environment and road conditions.Weather conditionsThe weather can pose a risk as it may hinder the drivers visibility, their ability to stop within safe distances, and their control of the vehicle. 2023 National Safety Council Only authorised persons should be permitted to enter such areas and the wearing of high visibility clothing should be mandatory. Keep your gas tank at least half-full as fuel may freeze in extremely low temperatures. You should avoid overheating the engine by not using the air conditioner and driving more slowly. To correct this type of skid, you must remove your foot from the brake pedal. Check the intersection on our left. Hit your emergency flashers and pump the brake quickly three or four times, Solomon says. Nothing can jolt a driver like the sudden loss of control of their automobile after hitting a slick patch of pavement. All rights reserved. Maintaining a safe following distance. But if it suddenly turns warmer, make sure to let the air escape. Most cars differ in their allowable operating range for hill descent assist, with some allowing you to go as slow as 3 mph or as fast as 38 mph. Boblett says the key to fleet safety is to pay attention and be proactive when driving. He has taught driving courses for 47 years. Vehicle turning across our path entering a driveway. Once you have successfully installed the chains to your drive wheels, you will need to drive a short way to let them settle before adjusting them once more. All rights reserved. Youll wind up seeing less, Solomon says. What are some dangers associated with driving through tunnels? Cyclist on the right. The State of Queensland (Department of Transport and Main Roads) 20102022, Use tab and cursor keys to move around the page (more information), Identifying hazards when driving through business areas, Identifying hazards when driving through roadworks, Identifying hazards when driving through school zones, Identifying hazards when sharing the road with other road users, Identifying hazards when driving through suburban streets, Identifying hazards when driving as night is approaching, vehicle merging into your lane or stopping suddenly in front of you. Helps keep you at a steady speed when driving down a hill or other decline. Looking through the rear windscreen of the vehicle in front for brake lights. Vehicles approaching. Watching the green light. Other vehicles entering on our right. Up- or down-hill driving? Many things to deal with, scanning both sides of the road. Some states permit the use of fog lights; check your drivers manual for details. Go 5 mph slower than the posted limit. Your vehicle will grip the roads surface more effectively when the wheels are rolling. (Note: The FMCSA may delay implementation until 2022. Car approaching. When driving through pooled water or heavy rain, your brakes may get wet and become ineffective. But if the air went out that quick, the tire is gone., Instead of trying to salvage the tire, focus on getting off the road. The faster you are traveling, the greater the likelihood that hydroplaning will occur, as speed creates lift and reduces your cars grip on the surface of the road. Top 12 Forklift Safety Hazards & How To Avoid Them Always use low-beams in this situation, as high-beams will reflect off the moisture in the air and cause glare. 10 Common Road Hazards and How to React to Them The hill descent assist helps maintain a safe speed without you needing to use the brakes. Difference Between a Hazard and a Risk - SafetyFrenzy When you need to decide on a slowdown in case of potential accident, you basically need to annihilate momentum, and when you are going up, gravity contributes to the total work needed to slow down. A hazard can be any possible source of danger on or near the road that could lead to a crash, and it can come from any direction. But never, ever park under an overpass. Car waiting to pull out in front. Looking over the crest of the hill. Green light ahead. Always pay attention to the speed limit. Down is more dangerous. It could be a: child chasing a ball onto the road parked car door opening vehicle merging into your lane or stopping suddenly in front of you slippery road surface after rain. Reduce your speed and keep to the right-hand side of your lane, as it is common for drivers in this situation to drift too close to the centerline. Car turning left. In front-wheel skids, this logic does not apply. Step 1: Look for hazards that may result in harm when driving on public roads. Step 2: Decide who might be harmed. Step 3: Evaluate the risk and decide whether existing precautions are adequate or more should be done. You want to deprive the car of forward motion, Solomon says. Glare can be worsened by moisture and dirt accumulation on both sides of your windshield, so be sure to clean the outside and inside regularly. Cars stopping in front. Keep an emergency supply kit in your car during the winter months, just in case you are stranded by the roadside. Scanning the road well ahead. There are three factors contributing to this. Thats a huge amount of weight hitting you.. Car entering on the left. Snow chains can be an enormous help in slippery situations, where it would otherwise be impossible to gain traction. It is essential to reduce your speed and drive within the reach of your headlights, otherwise you will not have time to react to hazards as they enter your field of vision. This should include food and water, first aid items, warm clothing, a blanket, a snow shovel, an ice scraper and anti-freeze, a flashlight and extra batteries. Solomon cautions to watch out for passing traffic, as other drivers might have trouble spotting you. Was the crash caused by the brakes burning out? Frequent intersections B. Pedestrians and truck drivers in the road C. Soft shoulders Even a very small amount of water can turn the surface of the road into an ice rink. Left lane appears to be ending. Bad weather. ; In fact, you will increase the life of your brakes by a few months (or even years, depending on how much steep downhill driving you do) if you simply use engine braking whenever possible rather than actually pressing the . Adult and child on the footpath. Multilane carriageway. Employers with five or more employees are required torecord the significant findings of their risk assessment. a proper check was made; those who might be affected were consulted; and all of the obvious hazards were identified and addressed. Step 5: Review your assessment and revise as necessary to ensure that the risks to those who drive, and others, are controlled. Pay special attention to speed limit and warning signs, such as those warning of curves, steep hills, or other hazards. If youve lost pressure, you want to continue traveling in a straight direction until you can stop. As they spin, they cant find any grip on the slick powder, and youre going nowhere fast. Truck approaching. Examples of risk and hazard are below in the article to better understand the difference. Defect reportingprocedures should be clearly set out. The need for drivers to demonstrate that privately owned vehicles are only used for work purposes if they are insured for business use The need for drivers to hold a licence for the type of vehicle they use and for periodic checks on the validity of that licence. Driver training options, e.g. Drivers Ed Flashcards | Quizlet This road could be tricky, since there is a long stretch of road, before sharp turns. This includes foggy or rainy conditions in which visibility is decreased and can result in poor decision making leading to accidents. Watch for steep grade signs along the highways as well as speed limits. A floating vehicle may be swept off the roadway into a deeper body of water. Be aware that the surface of the road may be slick with moisture during foggy conditions. Vehicle turning across our path up ahead. If your journey involves using unfamiliar limited access highways, planning your route ahead of time is essential. This early detection gives them more time to make a decision about the hazard and respond to it appropriately. How a 1,000-vehicle fleet simplified compliance for its drivers and managers. Looking up the hill. Crest of the hill, looking down the hill. The following are some of the hazards associated with operating electric forklifts in narrow aisles: Tip-over risks due to narrow clearance: The narrow width of aisles can increase the risk of electric forklifts tipping over. Hazards of Operating Electric Forklifts in Narrow Aisles Parked car on our right. View the short videos showing real life driving situations. Looking through the corner. It is a major contributing factor to accidents and injuries. Looking through the rear window. If youre behind two, or in the middle of them, you might start to feel trapped. A hazard can be any possible source of danger on or near the road that could lead to a crash, and it can come from any direction. Data from ELDs must be monitored and analyzed. After a heavy snowfall, you might return to your car to find the wheels surrounded by snow. Its not uncommon for the mat to get bunched up behind the brake pedal, making it hard to move. New rules coming soon In 2020, the Federal Motor Carriers Association (FMCSA) will introduce Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) to enhance current driver training and increase fleet safety on the roads. Looking down the hill, pedestrians on our right. 1.5 H&S Management Systems Measuring, Audit, Review, 2.3 Musculoskeletal Hazards And Risk Control, 2.4 Work Equipment Hazards And Risk Control, 2.7 Chemical And Biological Health Hazards And Risk Control, 2.8 Physical And Psychological Health Hazards And Risk Control. Take our basic traffic school course to keep your record clear. Parked cars, people may step out, their vision is obscured. Of course, the number-one rule of defensive driving is to avoid unnecessary danger. This can be caused by uneven floors, sudden turns, or overloading the forklifts beyond their capacity. Driving Hazards | Teen Driver Source Understanding how this occurs will help you regain traction in an emergency. Checking that. During rear-wheel skids, this will be in the same direction as the skid. Docks & Ramps. Once the vehicle begins to straighten out, counter-steer in the opposite direction, Solomon says. Scanning ahead, looking over the crest of the hill. The term work zone refers to any area on a public road where utility, construction or maintenance work is being conducted. Get ready for the permit test with DriversEd.com. Checking the footpath. While some ice is noticeable, black icewhich occurs when ice has thawed and re-frozencan be hard to spot. Additional hazards could include stored energy in the form of compressedair, hydraulic systems or heat from engine components. Be sure to put your hazard lights on to alert other drivers and recovery vehicles to your presence. Some versions of hill descent assist will activate your brake lights when it activates; if yours doesnt, make sure to continue lightly holding the brake to ensure drivers behind you know you may be gradually slowing.