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July
28, 2005
Farm Truck
Accidents are Avoidable
Farm trucks are involved
in accidents, on and off the road, every year, but the numbers go up at
harvest time.
Most of those accidents
result in injuries, and some cause fatalities, according to a North Dakota
State University safety expert.
“Most accidents
could be prevented if proper safety precautions had been followed,”
says George Maher, NDSU Extension Service agricultural safety specialist.
“Few accidents are unpreventable and no accident is necessary.”
Farm trucks, whether
empty or loaded, handle differently than the family car or pickup. A fully
loaded grain, beet or potato truck’s higher center of gravity can
cause it to tip over easily. A loaded truck also has more momentum than
an empty truck. That means drivers need more time and distance to accelerate
and stop, and they must drive slowly when turning.
Large trucks may be
easier to see because of their size, but they also appear to be moving
slower than they really are, so other motorists have a difficult time
judging the trucks’ speed.
Maher also has this
advice for farm truck operators:
- Trucks must be
equipped with working headlights, tail lights, brake lights and turn
signals. Clearance lights that indicate the size of the truck also are
an excellent safety item. Truck drivers must dim high-beam headlights
when approaching or following other vehicles.
- Do not overload
the truck. Too much weight affects the driver’s control of the
vehicle. Granular materials, such as grain, are a safety hazard when
they spill or blow from the box. Overloaded trucks also can damage rural
roads.
- Check truck tires
for proper inflation, cuts, bulges and other road hazards daily. Don’t
forget the inside tires on a dual axle because they usually are not
inspected as thoroughly.
- Make sure truck
windows are clean. A buildup of grain dust on the windows can make looking
into the setting sun or glare of oncoming headlights very dangerous.
While using windshield washers frequently will keep the outside of windows
clean, using a spray bottle of window cleaner and paper towels will
keep the inside clean.
- Fatigue reduces
drivers’ mental alertness and increases their reaction time. The
noise and monotony of truck driving can create fatigue much faster than
other types of work. Drivers should know the limits of how long and
hard they can work and not exceed them.
- Truck drivers
must use their seat belt. A fastened seat belt will encourage better
posture, decreasing the driver’s back strain throughout a long
day. Seat belts also save lives because they prevent the wearers from
being thrown from vehicles in an accident.
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Source:
George Maher, (701) 231-8288, gmaher@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Ellen Crawford, (701) 231-5391, ecrawfor@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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