10.27.17-Preventing_20Driver_20Injuries_20in_20Fall_20and_20Winter

In	This	Issue
:
Preventing	Driver	Injuries	in	Fall	and	Winter
Time	to	Fall	Back...	Daylight	Savings	Time	Changes	Sunday	Nov	5th!
November	5-12	is	Drowsy	Driving	Prevention	Week
Driver	Shortage,	ELDs,	Top	List	of	Trucking	Industry	Concerns
Halloween	Driving	"Tricks"	to	Keep	Everyone	Safe
	
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Preventing	Driver	Injuries	in	Fall	and
Winter
Slip/Trip	and	Fall	injuries	are	the	most	common	type	of	injury	for	drivers.	Most	of	them
occur	during	the	winter	months.	Each	year,	thousands	of	professional	drivers	are
seriously	injured	due	to	not	paying	attention	in	winter	conditions.	Working	in	the	ice
and	snow	requires	your	full	attention	and	awareness.
Remember	it	is	our	primary	goal	that	you	go	home	to	your	family	and	friends
the	way	you	came	to	work	today,	safe	and	healthy.
Always	wear	proper	footwear.	A	full	support	leather	shoe	with	a	rugged	non-slip
sole.	Use	non-slip	covers	on	shoe	(Yak	Trax,	etc.)
SLOW	DOWN,	never	be	in	a	hurry.
Always	watch	where	you	walk.	Snow	can	accumulate	on	top	of	ice	in	and
around	truck	parking	areas.
Take	small	steps	and	check	your	footing	with	each	step.
Look	for	ice	on	all	handrails	and	hand	grabs	before	using	them.
ALWAYS	use	gloves	for	better	grip.
ALWAYS	use	three	points	of	contacts	when	exiting/entering	your	tractor	or
trailer	or	getting	on	the	cat	walk	behind	the	cab,	ALWAYS.
Always	use	your	seat	belt.
SLOW	DOWN!
Slow	Down	in	winter!
October	27,	2017

How	does	a	Driver	Log	Daylight	Savings
Time?
There	are	no	"official"	guidelines	for	logging	when	the	time	changes.	What	most
drivers	do	is	simply	drop	a	line	down	to	the	remarks	section	of	the	log	to	indicate	the
time	change.	So	at	02:00	AM,	Sunday	morning,	drop	a	line	down	and	write	something
like,	"Daylight	saving."	It	should	not	affect	drivers'	hours	because	they	still	must
comply	with	the	11-,	14-	(or	10-,	15-),	and	60/70-hour	rules.	These	rules	are	not
dependent	on	what	the	clock	reads;	rather	they	depend	on	how	much	time	the	person
actually	worked/drove.
	
When	you	"gain"	an	hour	in	the	fall,	your	log	for	that	day	should	include	25	hours	of
activity,	because	you	repeat	the	hour	from	1:00	a.m.	-	2:00	a.m.	The	log	needs	to
show	what	you	did	for	that	hour,	so	enter	a	note	indicating	your	activity	and	any
changes	in	duty	status.	That	hour	must	be	included	when	calculating	compliance.
	
November	5-12	is	Drowsy	Driving
Prevention	Week
The	National	Sleep	Foundation	has	launched	Drowsy	Driving	Prevention	week	as	an
educational	campaign	designed	to	save	lives	by	increasing	awareness	of	the	dangers
of	driving	while	sleepy.		The	National	Highway	Traffic	Safety	Administration	estimates
that	drowsy	driving	causes	at	least	100,000	police-reported	crashes	and	kills	more
than	1,550	Americans	each	year.			It	is	curious	that	all	states	have	laws	in	place	to
enforce	drunken	driving	but	few	have	laws	to	cite	a	driver	who	has	fallen	asleep
Time	to	Fall	Back...
Daylight	Savings
Time	Changes	on
Nov	5th!!
Daylight	savings	time	will
"fall	back"	at	2:00	a.m.	on
Sunday,	November	5th.
Make	sure	that	all	of	your
drivers	are	aware	that	the
change	to	daylight	savings	will
occur.		Caution	route	drivers
especially	that	the	amount	of
daylight	will	change	according
to	their	stops	with	the	change.	
An	intersection	or	street	can
present	different	challenges	to
drivers	with	one	hour	change	in
the	position	of	the	sun.	One
hour	of	time	difference	can
present	unique	changes	to	a
driver	who	is	on	a	route.

enforce	drunken	driving	but	few	have	laws	to	cite	a	driver	who	has	fallen	asleep
causing	an	accident.		Only	the	state	of	New	Jersey	explicitly	defines	drowsy	driving	as
recklessness	under	a	vehicular	homicide	statute.	Known	as	"Maggie's	Law,"	New
Jersey's	drowsy	driving	law	has	served	to	raise	awareness	of	the	consequences	of
fatigue	behind	the	wheel	and	has	spurred	significant	action	in	other	states.	There	are
now	at	least	8	states	with	12	pending	bills	that	address	fatigued	driving	in	various
ways.
For	more	information	on	Drowsy	Driving	Prevention	Week,	visit
http://www2.idealease.com/e/36492/drowsy-driving/5dxclb/598902241
	
Warning	Signs	of	Drowsiness	and	Fatigue
If	you:
Can't	remember	the	last	few	miles	driven,
Have	wandering	or	disconnected	thoughts,
Experience	difficulty	focusing	or	keeping	your	eyes	open,
Have	trouble	keeping	your	head	up,
Drift	from	lanes	or	hit	a	rumble	strip,
Yawn	repeatedly,
Tailgate	or	miss	traffic	signs,
Find	yourself	jerking	your	vehicle	back	into	lane….
Then	you	may	be	suffering	from	drowsiness	or	fatigue.
Continuing	to	drive	in	this	condition	puts	you	at	serious	risk	of	being	involved	in	a
fatigue-related	crash.		You	should	pull	over	in	a	safe	place	and	get	some	rest	before
resuming	your	trip.
	
What	You	Can	Do	to	Stay	Alert	While	Driving:
Sleep	/	Take	Naps:
	
Your	best	bet	is	to	get	enough	sleep	every	day.	If	you	must	stay
up	late,	afternoon	naps	are	a	great	way	to	get	more	sleep.	If	you	feel	drowsy	while
driving,	a	15-minute	nap	can	be	very	effective.	Make	sure	to	pull	over	in	a	safe	place.
Caffeine:	
Avoid	caffeine	during	the	last	half	of	your	workday	as	it	may	contribute	to
sleeping	problems.	You	can	gain	short-term	alertness	by	drinking	coffee	or	other
caffeine	sources	if	driving,	but	it	usually	takes	30	minutes	to	take	affect	and	wears	off
after	a	few	hours.
Regular	Stops:
	
You	should	stop	every	100	miles	or	2	hours.	Switch	drivers	if	you
can.
AC	MAX	-	Re-circulation:	
Do	not	operate	the	vehicle	for	extended	periods	of	time
with	the	AC	on	MAX	or	Recirculation.		Under	these	conditions	the	level	of	C02	in	the
vehicle	is	increased	contributing	to	drowsy	driving.
		
Avoid	Alcohol:
	
If	you	have	been	drinking,	please	don't	drive!	In	addition	to	being
illegal,	alcohol	makes	you	sleepy	and	amplifies	your	fatigue.

If	You	are	Planning	a	Long	Trip,	AAA	Offers	the	Following	Tips	for
avoiding	Fatigue:
Prepare	for	your	trip	by	getting	a	good	night's	sleep	the	night	before.	Plan	to
drive	during	the	time	that	you	are	normally	awake,	and	stay	overnight	rather
than	traveling	straight	through.
Avoid	driving	during	the	body's	"down	time".	According	to	AAA,	this	is	generally
in	the	mid-afternoon	and	between	midnight	and	6:00	a.m.
If	you	have	passengers,	talk	to	them.	It	will	help	to	keep	you	alert,	and	they	will
also	be	able	to	tell	if	you	are	showing	signs	of	getting	sleepy.
Schedule	a	break	every	2	hours	or	every	100	miles.	Take	a	nap,	stretch,	take	a
walk	and	get	some	exercise	before	resuming	your	trip.
Stop	sooner	if	you	show	any	danger	signs	of	sleepiness.
	
"Tricks"	That	Do	NOT	Work
Opening	the	window,	turning	on	the	air	conditioning,	or	playing	loud	music	are	not
effective	in	keeping	drivers	alert	for	any	extended	period	of	time.
	
Driver	Shortage,	ELDs,	Top	List	of
Trucking	Industry	Concerns
For	the	first	time	in	more	than	a	decade,	the	driver	shortage	has	topped	the	list	of
trucking	industry	concerns	for	2017,	narrowly	edging	the	electronic	logging	device
(ELD)	mandate	from	the	top	spot.
	
The	American	Transportation	Research	Institute	(ATRI)	says	its	top	10	list	of	critical
issues	facing	the	trucking	industry	for	this	year	is	based	on	nearly	1,600	survey
responses.
	
The	driver	shortage	surged	six	spots	in	the	annual	survey;	it	last	topped	the	list	in
2006.	The	ELD	mandate	first	appeared	on	the	list	in	2012	and	surged	to	the	top	in
2016.	It	remains	the	number	one	issue	among	commercial	drivers	who	responded	to
the	ATRI	survey,	but	fell	to	the	second	spot	overall.
	
An	issue	that	first	appeared	in	the	top	10	last	year,	the	cumulative	economic	impact	of
government	regulations,	fell	to	number	seven.
	
Among	drivers,	concern	about	autonomous	vehicles	drove	its	way	into	the	top	10	but
was	not	as	highly	ranked	among	motor	carriers.
	
The	following	is	ATRI’s	top	10	list	for	2017:
1
.	
Driver	shortage
2
.	
ELD	Mandate
3
.	
Hours	of	Service
4
.	
Truck	Parking
5
.	
Driver	Retention
6
.	
CSA
7
.	
Cumulative	economic	impact	of	trucking	regulations
8
.	
Driver	Distraction
9
.	
Transportation	infrastructure/congestion/funding

9
.	
Transportation	infrastructure/congestion/funding
10
.	
Driver	health	and	wellness
The	ATRI	Top	Industry	Issues	report,	which	also	contains	strategies	for	addressing
each	issue,	is	available	online	at	www.TruckingResearch.org.
	
The	survey	results	were	released	at	the	2017	American	Trucking	Associations'
Management	Conference	and	Exhibition	in	Orlando,	Florida.
Halloween	Driving	"Tricks"	to	Keep
Everyone	Safe
To	help	everyone	bring	home	treats	--	not	tragedies	--	follow	these	tips	for	a	safe
Halloween:
Focus	on	your	driving.		A	single	distraction	could	lead	to	a	tragedy.
Stay	well	below	the	posted	speed	limit.
Pay	attention	to	what's	happening	on	sidewalks	and	roadways.	Watch	for
children	darting	across	streets,	especially	between	parked	cars.
Be	extra	alert	when	pulling	in	and	out	of	driveways.
Do	not	assume	children	can	see	you	or	are	paying	attention.	You	need	to	take
that	responsibility.
Drivers	should	also	check	that	all	lights	on	their	car	work.
Do	not	pass	other	vehicles	that	have	stopped	in	the	roadway.	They	could	be
dropping	off	children.
If	you're	driving	a	group	of	children,	but	staying	in	the	running	vehicle	at	the
curb,	be	sure	to	put	on	your	hazard	lights	to	alert	other	motorists.
And	if	you're	driving	to	a	Halloween	party,	put	that	mask	on	after	you	park	the
car.
Parents	can	help	motorists,	too:
Make	sure	drivers	can	see	the	children.	Give	them	flashlights	and	glow	sticks.	
Dress	kids	in	bright,	reflective	clothing	or	use	reflective	tape	on	their	costumes.
Use	makeup,	rather	than	masks,	so	children	have	a	clear,	unobstructed	view	of
their	surroundings.
Be	sure	children	know	how	to	cross	a	street	--	look	left,	right	and	left	again
before	crossing.
Instruct	children	to	stay	on	sidewalks	and	to	cross	only	at	corners	or
crosswalks.
Accompany	your	children	as	they	trick	or	treat.

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