Back Off - Keep your distance

Just a Reminder to leave lots of room between vehicles on the highway and other roadways.

Most of the accidents I see are because someone was too close to someone else or traveling too fast and did not have enough time to react to slowing or stopping traffic.

I have always recommended 2 to 3 seconds between vehicles to allow safe reaction time.
 

Extra distance should be added in poor weather conditions along with lower speeds in general to make it a little safer for everybody on the road.

Drive safe, make sure everyone gets there.

Tailgating again !

Do you ever look in your rear view mirror

while exiting a busy highway

in a snowstorm

downhill on a curved exit ramp

and see

NOTHING BUT TRUCK
three feet from your bumper?

I hate that !

I won't mention the name of the food distribution company who's truck must have come within three feet of my bumper on a very snowy exit ramp forcing me to exit much faster than I felt safe driving in those conditions.

As Safety and Compliance guy for a trucking company several years ago, I took a call from a lady about our driver bearing down on her in heavy traffic, she was terrified for herself and two kids in the car, she said she thought she was going to die. She later wrote me a letter passionately describing her ordeal.

Unfortunately this happens all too often and does sometimes cause drivers to panic and make a mistake which on the highway can be deadly.

It doesn't have to be a truck though. Some drivers can be intimidated into making a foolish mistake they would not have made otherwise by a car tailgating them or it could develop into a case of road rage.

Don't Tailgate!

Most of the accidents I see (and I see a lot) are from people following too close! Unfortunately we all pay in higher car insurance costs because of it.

Without the stupid accidents, our auto insurance rates would most certainly drop.

Leave at least TWO to THREE seconds between vehicles - in good conditions.

More in poor conditions, better safe than dead!



More on road safety at http://www.ezee.ca
Forklift Safety at liftright.net
See Truck photos or my other photos at donssite.com
or see optical illusions or web animations

Tailgate party on the Freeway

I haven't written much lately about my favorite pet peeve - "Tailgating"

If the guy in front of you stops real quick,

CAN YOU STOP TOO?

Maybe not so easy in the winter.

I was on the highway yesterday and couldn't believe there was not a serious accident.

A pack of cars (maybe six) came flying onto a highway ramp behind a slow truck. Several cars were severely tailgating as they entered the highway and panic ensued as they caught up to the truck. A couple of them managed to merge across into a middle lane but one guy who may not have seen the truck till the others moved, slammed on his brakes and spun off the road in a cloud of smoke and dust. I think he hit a road sign but I'm not sure as it was happening behind me now.



If this had happened today in the snow, the one car that spun out wouldn't be the only one to lose it.

On the highway in the snow, dangers of a collision are increased exponentially so you have to add that "exponential" factor to your defensive driving techniques.

This winter has been pretty brutal in some areas so far but there's still more to come so take care out there.

More on road safety at http://www.ezee.ca

Forklift Safety at liftright.net
See Truck photos or my other photos at donssite.com
or see optical illusions or web animations


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