New truck safety initiative pushes driver training

Some 19 people have been
killed and 33 injured in
accidents involving trucks
since May. These figures
– gathered by FTW – are
based on reported accidents
across the country and do
not allow for accidents
that did not make news
headlines.
According to a study
by Abela Driver Safety
Management, 65% of all
company vehicle drivers
are involved in at least one
accident a year.
In 2006 a report by the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration showed that
there were roughly 141 000
truck crashes every year,
and 77 000 of these were
the direct fault of the truck
driver.
According to heavy
Commercial Vehicles
Underwriting Managers, the
need for truck driver training
is now more necessary than
ever.
In KwaZulu-Natal three
men died when their truck
overturned on the Durbanbound
N3 on May 15, while
seven people were injured
when a bus, taxi and truck
collided on May 14 on
the Crown Interchange in
Johannesburg.
Three people died when
their vehicle was struck
by a truck on the N3 near
Heidelberg in Gauteng and
in the Eastern Cape earlier
this month three others died
after a collision between a
truck and an ambulance.
According to Abela, at
least 95% of road accidents
can be avoided if the driver
of a vehicle is equipped with
the necessary skills to react
appropriately.
HCV MD Chris Barry
believes that complying with
certain legal requirements
such as roadworthy
certificates and valid
drivers’ licences is merely
a foundation to adequately
prepare drivers for safe
passage on the road.
“In-cab driver training
is essential as it is aimed at
equipping drivers to react
appropriately to hazardous
situations.”