Hey truck drivers! What’s going on in the space on your left? On your right? Directly behind your vehicle? What about above? Will your truck clear that awning or overhead wire? And under the hood — places where you can’t see but your gauges can?
Professional drivers need to monitor all of these and more … but there’s a problem.
The space in front of your truck gets the most attention. That’s proper, because that’s where you’ll be in a few seconds.
Most defensive driving programs advise looking farther down the road so you’ll have as much warning as possible of any developing hazards. That might be a few blocks in an urban environment, or half a mile or more if you’re driving out in the country.
Hazards can be anywhere.
However, hazards can develop behind you and to the sides, as well in front of your truck.
Sometimes these hazards can be seen in advance. For example, a vehicle behind you that’s passing others and making frequent lane changes is likely to continue that behavior once it’s alongside your truck and even after moving ahead. It’s also likely that the driver will hit the brakes once there’s no room to pass. If you can identify this behavior and prepare for it, you’ll have a better chance of avoiding the hazard created.
Be aware of the spaces all around your truck.
Keeping an eye on the space behind and alongside your truck requires a nearly continuous scan. You’ll need to check mirrors and windows, as well as your dashboard. You’ll also need to watch for warnings from available advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), such as automatic braking or lane departure warnings.
More importantly, you’ll need to correctly decide how much time to spend on each activity. Hazards can develop quickly in front of your vehicle, so spending too much time with your eyes on the rear- or side-view mirrors can cause you to miss hazards directly in your path. Some programs state that your eye scan should be repeated after a specified number of seconds — but as conditions change, the amount of time you spend looking everywhere except forward changes too.
For example, when traffic is heavy, a more active scan is called for. Things are changing fast in front of you, as well as on the sides and to the rear. However, if your vehicle is in the right lane, it’s fairly unlikely (but still possible) that someone will pass you on the right, using the shoulder of the road. Perhaps a quick glance at the right side-view mirrors is sufficient, and you can devote more time to the left-side mirrors.
Another example occurs at night. In the darkness, your focus needs to be in front because you can’t see animals and other obstacles that could move in front of you. But if traffic is light and you see no headlights coming up behind you, how often do you really need to check those mirrors?
Don’t get me wrong: It’s NEVER safe to ignore any mirror or window (or gauge) that provides you with decision-making information — but it does make sense to adjust the time spent on your eye scan based on the conditions.
Stopping distance is key.
It can be helpful to think of your speed in terms of feet per second (fps) rather than miles per hour (mph).
To do this, multiply your mph by 1.46666667. For most of us, that formula requires the use of a calculator, which would be an unsafe distraction while driving. However, if you round that number up to 1.5, it gets a little bit easier: 60 mph is roughly equivalent to 90 fps.
So, if you’re looking in a mirror or checking a gauge or reading a billboard or checking out the driver of a passing car and your eyes linger for a mere five seconds, your vehicle has traveled about 450 feet (that’s 150 yards; the length of 1.5 football fields) without you looking ahead.
A lot can happen in 450 feet.
Your stopping distance includes about three-quarters of a second (67.5 feet) for perception time, another three-quarters of a second reaction time, and three-quarters of a second more in brake lag. So, adding a second or two of delay before you saw a hazard can mean the difference between stopping short and a collision. Make wise decisions about how much time to spend on scanning.
Make sure you have a clear view of the world around you.
Of course, mirrors and windows are far less effective when they’re dirty and, in the case of mirrors, not adjusted properly. Keeping these surfaces clean and adjusted offers a better view of what’s around you — a view that takes fewer seconds to take in. Keep window cleaner and rags or paper towels (or even a small squeegee) in your cab so you can quickly touch up glass dirty glass. Of course, windshield washer fluid is a must — preferably NOT the cheap stuff that freezes at the same temperature as plain water.
When roads are wet, spray can dry quickly on heated mirror and window surfaces, leaving behind a nasty residue. Keep extra washer fluid on hand, and be prepared to pull over and clean when necessary. And don’t forget your lights; they’ll help others see you.
Be aware of other drivers’ behavioral tendencies.
While we’re addressing the topic of other drivers, keep in mind that their actions are often predictable.
For instance, one trait of many motorists is that they tend to steer toward whatever they’re looking at. A driver who seems focused on one side — perhaps a motorist looking for an opening to change lanes — may start moving that way before it’s safe. Drivers who weave from lane to lane, trying to get ahead, are likely to continue this behavior.
Distractions are a hazard to many, and professional drivers who spend lots of time on the road have seen all sorts of them. Cellphones and tablets are commonly used while driving. But a mother trying to get children in the back seat to behave is just as distracted (perhaps even more so) as someone who’s talking on the phone. So is that young man checking out the females in the car one lane over.
Events outside the vehicle can be a distraction, as anyone who’s sat through a jam-up of “rubberneckers” staring at an accident on the other side of the road can attest.
Understanding how motorists are likely to react helps you predict their behavior — and it and helps you determine how much time to spend watching them. Keeping an eye scan going and altering the time spent between scans — depending on current conditions — helps you avoid trouble before it happens.
Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.
Thank you for a great article and advice.