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Navigating Construction Zones with Mike Wallace

May 6th, 2013

I recently sat down with Mike Wallace, the lead learning and development specialist for Con-way Truckload, to get his point of view on construction zone safety and best practices for drivers in these situations. Check out the interview below for his insight.

Katlin Owens: Is there a particular time of year when construction zones are most prevalent?
Mike Wallace: Highway construction is most prevalent as soon as the weather clears up and enough construction workers can work outside. Most truck drivers say there are two seasons, Winter and Construction.

KO: What are the biggest things to look for when entering a construction zone?
MW: Some of the most important things to look for are, speed limits, construction workers, moving equipment, and other traffic going through the construction zones.

KO: Why are construction zones so dangerous, especially for truckers?
MW: Because of the constricted space limited by the barriers and congestion. The danger also increases when other motorist do not obey the posted speed limits.

KO: What are the biggest concerns in construction zones?
MW: Getting the big picture and paying attention to everything that is going on in front, beside and behind at all times. Also, leaving enough space in front of you to be able to stop in the event anything should happen suddenly.

KO: How does Con-way prepare their drivers for these situations?
MW: We teach the Smith System of Defensive Driving, which focuses on the following teaching points. Aim high in steering, get the big picture, keep your eyes moving, leave yourself an out, and make sure they see you.

KO: Do you tell new drivers anything specific about handling these unexpected situations?
MW: It is all covered in the classroom portion of Smith System.

KO: What is the most important thing a driver should remember when in a work zone?
MW: There are two very important things. They are, control your speed and leave yourself plenty of room.

KO: Are there any other details or points that you would like to add?
MW: With the conception of the Compliance, Safety, and Accountability Program (CSA), it is utterly important that drivers control their speed through constructions zones. Besides being extremely dangerous to speed through them and increasing the chance for a crash, a ticket received in a construction zone is a 10 point violation times 3 for the first year on the CSA.

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NHTSA Reminds Consumers to Check Their Vehicles Prior to Winter Road Trips

December 18th, 2012

With the winter driving season upon us, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reminding all drivers to check their vehicles and take necessary precautions before taking to the roads.

“It’s not uncommon for families to travel long distances or through inclement weather to celebrate the holidays or visit with loved ones,” said Administrator David L. Strickland, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. With this in mind, it’s important that drivers properly maintain their vehicles and always drive responsibly — never texting behind the wheel or driving drunk and always wearing a seat belt.”

To ensure safe travels this holiday season and through the New Year, NHTSA recommends that drivers take the following precautions:

Get your car serviced now to ensure your vehicle is in optimal condition.

Visit your mechanic for a tune-up and other routine maintenance.
Have your entire vehicle checked thoroughly for any leaks, bad hoses, or other needed parts, repairs, and replacements.

Check your battery.

When the temperature drops, so does battery power. For gasoline-powered engines, also be aware that it takes more battery power to start your vehicle in cold weather than in warm. For electric vehicles, the driving range is reduced. Find out if your battery is up to the challenges of winter by:

Having your mechanic check your battery for sufficient voltage;
Having the charging system and belts inspected;
If necessary, replacing the battery or making system repairs, including simple things like tightening the battery cable connections; and
Making sure, for electric vehicles with gasoline backup systems, to keep fresh gasoline in the vehicle, to support the gasoline backup system.

Check your cooling system.

When coolant freezes, it expands. This expansion can potentially damage your vehicle’s engine block beyond repair. Don’t let this happen to your vehicle this winter.
Make sure you have enough coolant in your vehicle and that it’s designed to withstand the winter temperatures you might experience in your area.
A 50/50 mix of coolant to water is sufficient for most regions of the country. See your vehicle owner’s manual for specific recommendations.
Thoroughly check the cooling system for leaks or have your mechanic do it for you.
If your system hasn’t been flushed (draining the system and replacing the coolant) for several years, have it done now. Over time, the rust inhibitors in antifreeze break down and become ineffective. Coolant also needs to be refreshed periodically to remove dirt and rust particles that can clog the cooling system and cause it to fail.

Find the article on NHTSA.

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Having To Pee While Driving Is As Bad As Drinking

September 26th, 2012

Source: Brown Daily Herald

According to our recent poll. The majority (61%) answered that there are not enough restrooms on the road, leading many of you without a restroom when you need one. But did you know that holding your bladder can cause many of the same brain triggers and impairment as drinking alcohol?

“They made it to the bathroom, but it was a pretty ugly scene,” said Peter Snyder, professor of neurology. “There was a bit of some pushing to get into the stalls.”

Snyder was not describing a frat house on a Saturday night or the mad dash for the ladies’ room during the intermission of a lengthy play. Instead, he was talking about his study, which took one afternoon, cost less than $2 and ultimately won him and his team a 2012 MSNBC Weird Science award. The study also caught the eye of the team of Nobel Laureates who determined the winners of the 2011 Ig Nobel Prizes, designed to “honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think,” according to their website.

Since publishing the study, he said he has heard from truck drivers who have experienced first-hand cognitive impairment from needing to pee. “At least three or four people who are either truck drivers themselves or are related to truck drivers have told me that they almost killed themselves because they weren’t paying attention when they had to go so badly,” he said.

Snyder’s research showed that the painful need to urinate causes levels of cognitive deterioration on par with staying awake for 24 consecutive hours or having a blood alcohol content level of 0.05, just shy of the legal limit for driving.

Snyder and his team ran the study on eight individuals, who each drank 250 milliliters of water every 15 minutes until they reached their “breaking point,” where they could no longer hold their urine. As subjects’ self-reported pain levels increased, so too did their levels of cognitive impairment as measured by simple tasks on the computer that tested attention and working memory.

The study’s results have real-world implications Snyder and his team did not anticipate. “We didn’t set out to really talk about the risk of driving when you really need to break to go to the bathroom,” he said. “Honestly, this didn’t occur to us, that it’s the same as drinking until you are too drunk to drive.”

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