Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Improving Truck Driving Safety
In addition to playing a vital role in the economy of the United States, truck drivers have also begun to pose an increasing danger to themselves and other road users. This is the result of a variety of factors. Truck driver fatigue for example plays a major role in accidents involving trucks.
In response to the significance of this problem, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has legally instituted a regulation in 2003 to limit the hours that truckers spend on the road (Munley, Munley & Cartwright, 2009). The problem however remains that both personal, professional and political factors make it difficult for truck drivers to maintain a sensible cycle of work and sleep hours. Because of these factors, some truck drivers simply and knowingly ignore the regulations that are in place for their safety as well as the safety of others. Driver fatigue is still cited as the main factor in as many as 20-40% of accidents involving trucks (Munley, Munley & Cartwright, 2009).
Professionals such as Munley, Munley & Cartwright (2009), who specialize in the field of truck accidents and their causes, confirm the above finding. Their data indicate that truck drivers do indeed tend to ignore regulations to their own detriment and that of others.
Despite the facts, it is often difficult to investigate an issue where wrongdoing is often at the root of the problem. Truck companies may for example be unwilling to admit the significance of financial gain as a driver of truck drive fatigue. Truck drivers themselves could in turn not be entirely truthful about their own motivations for longer hours on the road. These limitations should be taken into account when conducting a study on the issue.
This does not however mean that the study of this problem should be abandoned. It is vitally important to investigate truck driver fatigue and its related problems in order to ensure better safety for all road users, as well as for this important employment sector in the country.
Munley, Munley & Cartwright (2009). Truck Driver Fatigue & Tractor Trailer Accidents. http://www.truckinjuries.com/truck-driver-fatigue.html
Not having upheld such responsibility has made them liable and hence the payouts in both cases. Concomitantly with a lack of sleep, company responsibilities regarding the above-mentioned truck maintenance also appear to not always be up to standard, if the facts of the cases are investigated. According to Baker's report, drivers for the company have taken responsibility by reporting truck problems, which were simply ignored by their companies. Further investigation
Hour of Service Regulations on Truck Safety Hours of Service regulations are overseen, developed and published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These regulations regard the number of hours in which a commercial vehicle operator (CMV) may (such as a truck driver or bus driver) may drive a vehicle in the U.S. The purpose of this regulation is to ensure that large vehicle operators have sufficient rest between shifts
Saldaria, M. A. & Herrero, S. G. (2012, Annual). The impact of occupational hazard information on employee health and safety: An analysis by professional sectors in Spain. International Electronic Journal of Health Education, 15, 83-87. Major Thesis Emphasizing that more than 6,000 workers die each day around the world due to work-related health and safety conditions, the authors cite the need for improvement in occupational conditions to make companies safer places
(Source: Your Fleet Reflects Your Image... How Do You Manage It?, 1998 Online available at http://www.nacsonline.com Phase Two: This is the organizational phase of fleet safety and is inclusive of the following four aspects of fleet safety: 1. Management System - Unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, or accidents can be symptoms of problems in management. 2. Multiple Cause Accidents - When many contributing factors rather than single incidents lead to accidents, several safety
Easton (1997) argued that every injured worker in an organization involves financial (between four and ten times the obvious) and productivity costs that could have been prevented." (Murray, et al., 2003) II. Driver Selection Steps The basic attributes required to becoming a truck driver are (1) Physical; (2) Mental; and (3) Communication. First one must be physically fit to become a truck driver. Secondly one must have the mental capacity and
OSHE The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 set the stage for the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) whose duties include the prevention of illnesses, injuries, and deaths that are work-related. The administration has produced tangible results in reducing occupational deaths and injuries by 62% and 42% respectively. The reason behind OSHA's success is down to its regular inspection of work facilities, as well as issuance