KEN'S KORNER - JANUARY 2009
RESOLVE TO BREAK BAD HABITS
BY AUTHOR, EDUCATOR & DRIVER KEN SKAGGS
Well, the New Year is upon us, and you know what that means - it’s time to make another resolution that you probably won’t keep. Of course, statistics show that most people don’t keep their resolutions, but I say we should still try. Go ahead, make that promise to yourself, and do your best to make it work.
We all have visions of who we are, who we want to be, who we think we can be and who we ought to be. But really being that person isn’t very easy sometimes. It takes a lot of hard work and effort. I think change is good for the soul (well, some changes are). But the problem is, old habits die hard.
I think it’s safe to say that every driver has some bad habits, especially the most experienced drivers. Yes, I said the most experienced. Some of us recognize them and some of us don’t. No matter how long you’ve been trucking, and no matter how good you think you are, I’d like to urge everyone out there to just take it easy this winter, and this whole year. New drivers are drilled and drilled on safety, so they come out of truck driving school all revved up for safety, take every precaution they’ve learned and try very hard to be careful. But then, after they get accustomed to their truck, they get confident in their own abilities, and they get comfortable, even complacent. Unfortunately, no matter how good that you think you are, the old saying is still true - you have to watch out for the other guy. And with all the traffic on the roads these days, there sure are a lot of them other guys.
Let’s talk a little about some particularly bad habits. And please, be honest with yourself and admit it if you have any of these same habits. My personal opinion is most drivers don’t leave themselves an “out”. This is one of the basic things they teach you in truck driving school, but it seems a lot of us forget about that one. I know it can’t always be done, especially when in heavily populated areas. But out on the open road, there is no reason whatsoever to drive right next to someone else, or tailgate someone, as you travel alongside a concrete barricade with no shoulder. Be mindful of that “out” and keep it handy.
I think most of you will agree, probably the most common mistake a trucker can make (and I see it almost every day) is backing up using only one mirror. I saw an accident one day that happened because the driver simply didn’t look in his other mirror (or turn his stereo down). If he had, he would have plainly seen the car behind him (and heard the horn honking), and seen me, frantically waving for him to stop. In this particular case, the driver made two mistakes, but either one of them could have caused the accident. Then, the funny thing was, after he backed into the car, he walked up to me and asked if I would be a witness. I said I would, and I did give a statement to the police, but he wouldn’t have liked it if he had heard what I said.
Several of the most common mistakes experienced drivers make include not using all their mirrors when backing; not turning down their stereo while backing; not opening a window while backing (to listen); backing too quickly (it’s no wonder most truck accidents where the driver is at fault are the result of the truck backing); driving with one hand (or worse, one hand on the wheel and a foot on the dash); tailgating (which is trusting that so-called other guy); and just generally being in a hurry.
It’s been my experience that almost every accident happens because someone is in a hurry. Think about it - why do so many drivers back up using only one mirror? They think it takes too long to look at the other one. They know that if they focus, they can see the angle very well, and, if they have to turn their head and focus in another direction, well, that takes a little time (about two seconds). And the same is true for tailgating - it is always someone in a hurry making mistakes, getting complacent and putting too much trust in what they can’t control (namely, the other guy) that causes most of the havoc out on the road.
I’d like to challenge all drivers reading this to think about any accident you have either been in or witnessed. Consider who was at fault and what they did wrong. Then, ask yourself these two questions - was he in a hurry? And, if he had taken a little more time, could he have avoided that accident? I’m sure you will conclude, as I have, that more often than not the answer to both questions is usually yes. Just an extra second here and there, one more turn of the head, one less mile per hour, one less pass or one less lane change could have made the difference.
No matter how long you have been driving, please, make a resolution this year, today, to re-evaluate your driving habits. Realize that you have some good habits and pat yourself on the back for those, but also realize you have a few bad ones, too, and make a little effort to change them. Take your time and do the math - a few seconds won’t make much of a difference. And don’t get too comfortable. It doesn’t matter how well you know the road, you don’t know who is coming or what they’ll do. Go to www.bigcitydriver.com and read the Ten Keys to Safe City Driving. It will help you - no matter how long you’ve been trucking.