Content Type: Safety Letter

As summer ends, children of all ages are returning to school. Whether they are driving on the roadway, walking on the side of the road, or waiting for school buses, expect to see a lot more people on the roads and a lot more erratic driving behavior. 

According to a report by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHSTA), autumn is the most dangerous time of year for pedestrians—with 29% of pedestrian-related fatalities occurring during the season.

In fact, pedestrian-vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death for children ages 5-14. Here are some tips to keep in mind

As a professional driver, you work daily on poorly maintained and overcrowded roads and highways. You often encounter other motorists who lack common courtesy, are distracted, or are compromised in some other way.

These behaviors are a breeding ground for aggressive driving. According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, aggressive driving is defined as any unsafe driving behavior performed deliberately and with ill intention or disregard for safety. 

When you are confronted with an aggressive driver or road rage, how should you respond?

Every year, thousands of people die in vehicle crashes because they are not wearing a seat belt. In 2020, more than 38,000 people died on the road—a 7% increase from 2019. In that same year, in accidents involving commercial vehicles, nearly 5,000 people died and more than 146,000 were injured.

According to surveys conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, nearly 14% of all commercial motor vehicle drivers do not wear a seat belt. In fatal crashes, approximately 50% of large truck occupants who did not wear seat belts lost their lives.

Federal regulations require commercial vehicle drivers to buckle up. So why are drivers not using seat belts? Frankly, there are a lot of myths out there. Let’s set the record straight.

As a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) driver, you understand roadside inspections are part of the job. These inspections are of particular importance during the annual Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) International Roadcheck.

This year the Roadcheck is being held May 14-16 across North America. It’s important to remember that inspections should not just happen during next month’s Roadcheck event but throughout the year. 

While the inspections conducted during Roadcheck scrutinize all safety and compliance aspects of equipment and drivers, this year there will be two specific areas of concentration: the use of controlled substances and alcohol among drivers and vehicle maintenance, particularly tractor protection and anti-bleed back systems.

Spring is in the air and with the approaching warm weather comes the return of highway maintenance and work zones. The 2024 National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is scheduled for April 15-19. This year’s theme is “Work Zones are temporary. Actions behind the wheel can last forever.” The kick-off event is scheduled for April 16. 

Each year more than 700 fatalities happen in work zones across the nation. Both commercial motor vehicle (CMV) and passenger vehicle drivers need to be extra careful while traveling through work zones. Sadly, accidents resulting in fatalities involving CMVs in work zones have been increasing year after year.

More than 370,000 people died in transportation incidents over the last decade (2011-2020) in the United States, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. And of those, more than 350,000 of them died on our roads. Although there was a consistent decline in roadway fatalities and fatality rates for 30 years, progress has stalled in the last decade and has gone in the wrong direction in 2020 and 2021, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

These are some tips from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to help prevent accidents and comply with safety standards. Some of these best practices start before getting into the cab.

As you know, the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure online database containing records of drug and alcohol violations, including positive drug or alcohol test results and test refusals of anybody who holds a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or a commercial learner’s permit (CLP). When a driver completes the return-to-duty (RTD) process and follow-up testing plan, this information is also recorded in the Clearinghouse.

Drivers are not required to register for the Clearinghouse. However, a driver will need to be registered to provide electronic consent in the Clearinghouse if a prospective or current employer needs to conduct a full query of the driver’s Clearinghouse record, including all pre-employment queries. Once registered, drivers can view their driver record and identify a substance abuse professional (SAP) so the SAP may enter specific information regarding the driver’s return-to-duty (RTD) activities.

Registration is available here.

As if the shift to daylight savings time and the coming holiday season doesn’t cause enough distraction in our daily schedules, we must worry about deer strikes. This is the time of year when deer are most active and with that in mind, now is a good time to review the dangers of animals in the roadway.

Deer are more active during breeding, migration, and hunting season, increasing the likelihood of crashes from mid-October to mid-December. Here are some tips for staying safe

Earlier this month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a Notice of Enforcement Policy intended to increase awareness of sexual assault against commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers and to emphasize federal law requires that persons who are convicted of using a CMV to commit a felony must be disqualified from operating a CMV requiring a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or commercial learner’s permit (CLP).

The safety of CMV operators is a critical aspect of FMCSA’s safety mission. Sexual assaults have occurred at truck stops, fueling stations, and in connection with CMV driver training.

Truck drivers whose personal safety is at risk cannot devote their complete attention to the safe operation of a CMV and the performance of other safety-sensitive functions.