Every day there seems to be some horrific accident involving trucks. Now granted there are a lot of trucks on the road today and the road system is getting more and more congested. Some mornings on the M1 near Sheffield at 5am you would think it was rush hour. Anyway do you think the auto box could be some of the blame and possibly the cruise control?
Over the last year I have been driving an old Volvo FM manual and recently a FM auto and a Daf CF and XF both autos. I find my concentration is more switched on with the manual. When approaching junctions and roundabouts you know you need to be in the right gear. With an auto you cruise up to any junction purely looking if it is clear and you dont clout the kerbs or mr cyclist on your inside.
I am not saying this is the reason before anyone calls me Mr CSI, its just a thought. Foot down and then cruise on, I know I find it very tedious especially at 56mph. Last week coming down the A1M I was on the home strait to the yard and found myself struggling to concentrate that I had to stop and have a quick 30min shuteye.
Glad to see that you had the sense to have the 30 mins shuteye, I know some companies that would want a stewards enquiry as to why you had stopped , and that is not how it should be, Safety comes first. We are all entitled to go home safe and well at the end of the week regardless . As for the gearbox question its a manual every time for me…and just perhaps it did/ does keep you more alert having to use it, especially when you only had 240hp and 30 + tons on the hills !
I supouse it contribute to theres less to do so il switch off mentality but i still think the main problem is on the limiter cruise on and dont worry you are only 5 foot from the lorry in front.
Rather than back it off a few klicks if you cant pass.
Dont see it myself, driven manual for donkys bt recently gone auto.
Find myself more relaxed so spend more time paying attention to what is going on outside the window.
Think you would also have to look at the stats to see if truck related accidents are on the up or down.
As for cruise control, my first was a bit of wood wedged between dash and throttle! Think the modern way is some what safer.
kr79:
I supouse it contribute to theres less to do so il switch off mentality but i still think the main problem is on the limiter cruise on and dont worry you are only 5 foot from the lorry in front.
Rather than back it off a few klicks if you cant pass.
Thats very true. If I cant pass and we are both on 55 mph its amazing the difference just clicking down to 54mph makes until you are a safe distance and then return to 55mph
Could be that so called ‘modern technology’ is a contributory factor in accidents but we shouldn’t have to wonder that question.I have long believed that EVERY accident should be investigated
and a full report made public,in the case of HGV’s reported in our trade outlets,nothing better than learning by others mistakes.I don’t want VOSA spending it’s Sundays sitting on the M25 trying
to rake in the money,I want VOSA fully investigating and reporting all HGV accidents and if professional drivers are included in the investigation all the better.I have never trusted modern technology,
can see it’s benefits but because it’s a modern technology doesn’t mean it’s perfect.I want to know why Sally Traffic can report up to a dozen roll overs some day’s,what is the cause,it cannot all be
down to the driver,could be the braking on the rig is set up wrong or another reason,let’s find out and learn,a little knowledge is not always dangerous.
Speed limiters imo are the big cause of these accidents. Yeah we all know we should leave sufficient gap blah blah blah, but living and working in the real world things aint as clear cut. Human nature makes us all fallible from time to time and we ALL screw up occasionally and maybe run closer than we should. We get away with it 99 times out of a 100 and again that ■■■■ human nature takes over, so we do it again and again until it kills us . The biggest change to my attitude came when I decided to drive 5 k’s under the limiter. It revolutionised it for me. Such a simple move, but such a huge effect on my driving and also my mental state.
the maoster:
The biggest change to my attitude came when I decided to drive 5 k’s under the limiter. It revolutionised it for me. Such a simple move, but such a huge effect on my driving and also my mental state.
Lets see what happens when everyone decides to do that
the maoster:
The biggest change to my attitude came when I decided to drive 5 k’s under the limiter. It revolutionised it for me. Such a simple move, but such a huge effect on my driving and also my mental state.
I do the same. I initially dropped from 90 to 88 but now I do 85 and if in an auto with programmable retarder interaction I’ll set it to +4 so it kicks in at 90 and prevents overspeeds.
Such a more relaxed drive and if I creep up on someone I can blast past them with the extra 5km/h.
Of course, this only works if the majority of people stick with 90 so for my sake, everyone run on the limit
Are you sure there are any more horrific accidents than in years past, or is it just reported more widely now we have access to so many media outlets and almost everybody has a camera to
I get a choice to which truck I drive and I’d normally take the auto over the manual as its far more relaxed to drive, my colleagues seem to prefer the manual because the limiter is set slightly higher?
Which is going to be the safer the relaxed driver or the one that wants to get there as quick as they can push the truck?
Far too many people are coming into this job with their eyes closed. They think it is just a job that can be learned from a book and a few lessons. It isn’t, It’s a way of life.
A way of life that needs people that can adapt and evolve. There is a saying, “there are drivers and there are Drivers”. Some will obey every rule because it’s a rule, Some will put driving to a high standard above rules and regulations. This is what a professional will do.
I’m not just talking about tacho rules and that sort of thing, I’m also refering to company policy. Midlifetrucker refered to having 30 minutes shuteye, It was also mentioned that some firms would need a stewards enquiry if one of their drivers did this out of scope of company policy.
Some trunker drivers will change their mundane route to take the monotiny out of it to stay more alert, They may change their route to avoid congestion, But some drivers will go where the office tells them, by the route they say, and at what time of day or night they say.
As for me, i prefer an auto in the UK due to the congestion. But i much prefer a manual on the continent, It makes no odds on the flat, but a hell of a difference on the mountains.
the maoster:
The biggest change to my attitude came when I decided to drive 5 k’s under the limiter. It revolutionised it for me. Such a simple move, but such a huge effect on my driving and also my mental state.
Lets see what happens when everyone decides to do that
That is actually a very good point you make there Mike. I have noticed an increasing number of trucks travelling at a slightly reduced speed (whether or not it’s voluntarily I have no idea), but, and it’s a big but here, because I have speed in hand I don’t get sucked into that driving too close and looking for the slightest opportunity to pull out and take 5 miles to pass malarky.
This style of driving will not suit everybody, and tbh I hope it doesn’t 'cos I like not being in a long line of trucks.
Armagedon:
Could be that so called ‘modern technology’ is a contributory factor in accidents but we shouldn’t have to wonder that question.I have long believed that EVERY accident should be investigated
and a full report made public,in the case of HGV’s reported in our trade outlets,nothing better than learning by others mistakes.I don’t want VOSA spending it’s Sundays sitting on the M25 trying
to rake in the money,I want VOSA fully investigating and reporting all HGV accidents and if professional drivers are included in the investigation all the better.I have never trusted modern technology,
can see it’s benefits but because it’s a modern technology doesn’t mean it’s perfect.I want to know why Sally Traffic can report up to a dozen roll overs some day’s,what is the cause,it cannot all be
down to the driver,could be the braking on the rig is set up wrong or another reason,let’s find out and learn,a little knowledge is not always dangerous.
Roll overs in a modern truck are caused by complacency, some units give little or no feed back from the trailer, so drivers have no idea what it is doing until its to late.
And then there is the numpty box jockey who has just picked up a loaded sealed box with no idea how it has been loaded, trying to go flat out round the first roundabout he comes too.
Armagedon:
Could be that so called ‘modern technology’ is a contributory factor in accidents but we shouldn’t have to wonder that question.I have long believed that EVERY accident should be investigated
and a full report made public,in the case of HGV’s reported in our trade outlets,nothing better than learning by others mistakes.I don’t want VOSA spending it’s Sundays sitting on the M25 trying
to rake in the money,I want VOSA fully investigating and reporting all HGV accidents and if professional drivers are included in the investigation all the better.I have never trusted modern technology,
can see it’s benefits but because it’s a modern technology doesn’t mean it’s perfect.I want to know why Sally Traffic can report up to a dozen roll overs some day’s,what is the cause,it cannot all be
down to the driver,could be the braking on the rig is set up wrong or another reason,let’s find out and learn,a little knowledge is not always dangerous.
They are investigated, and the reports to them are available to the public, you just have to find them.
And they act on them, that’s why ABS became compulsory on trucks and seat belts and speed limiters.
