Sound Hints for Heavy Vehicle Drivers

DRIVERS face hundreds of hazards daily. A hazard is defined as anything that could cause a change of speed or direction. This means that drivers should be constantly on the look out for anything that may cause them to do either, or, both.

There are two types of hazards: moving and stationary. The stationary are intersections, stop streets, turns, potholes, lamp posts, trees etc. Moving hazards are other road traffic such as vehicles, pedestrians and animals – all of whose behaviour is unpredictable.

Search

The search for hazards should not be restricted to the front only; it should include the sides and rear. It is essential for a driver to be continually aware of everything going on around him so that he is ready to react. The ongoing mental process consists of: search (for hazards), identify (type of hazard), predict (how it will influence one) and decide (what action to take).

Identify

Once the hazard is identified, the question to ask is: is it a stationary or moving hazard and how will it affect my speed or direction or both?

Predict

What is the potential of the hazard to cause a collision? How will my action to avoid the collision impact on other road users? For example, will a child follow a ball that has rolled on to the road? Always predict the worst.

Decide

Are you going to warn of your presence by hooting or flicking your lights? Are you going to increase or decrease speed? Are you going to change direction only or combine some of the actions? Your decision will be influenced by the amount of clear space you need to create between your vehicle and the hazard. Always strive to have as much space as possible by adjusting speed or direction. This will give you more time and space in which to react to hazards.

You should maintain a following distance of at least three seconds at all times. This three-second rule also ensures that the vehicle in front obstructs your view less. Remember, as a driver you have to frequently compensate for other people’s mistakes. Becoming annoyed or angry does not help. In fact, it can lead to an irrational act and may worsen matters.

However, it is pointless to search for hazards, identify, predict what may happen and decide what to do if your decision is not carried out correctly. The following actions should be considered in sequence:

Mirror check

In many cases using the horn will be enough to catch the attention of certain hazards without the need for further action. If other action is necessary, you must look in the mirrors to get a picture of the situation behind you. You must check the rear mirrors every five to eight seconds. All mirrors must be adjusted to give maximum vision of the rear.

Blind spot check

The exterior mirrors are useful for searching for vehicles on both sides behind you. However, there is an area on each side of the vehicle that is not visible to the driver. It’s called the blind spot. The failure to see a vehicle in the blind spot causes thousands of collisions annually. The only way of ensuring that no vehicle is hidden, is to look over the right or left shoulder, depending on which side you are turning. This means that before signalling, you must check the blind spot. Should you signal before checking it, the driver next to you could be startled, swerve away and collide into another vehicle. You also need to check your blind spot in other situations such as when you are moving from a stationary position. Now that the mirrors and blind spot have been checked, you can indicate to tell other drivers what you intend doing.

Signal

The indicators must be switched on in time and left on long enough to warn other road users of your intention. They must also be used when parking and even when reversing for parallel parking. Indicators can also be used as a request to allow you to change lanes to turn at the next intersection.

Mirror check

Before the next action (speed reduction) is taken, mirrors must again be checked. Since the last check, the traffic picture behind you could have changed. After the mirror check, you can now safely reduce speed.

Brake

When it is safe to brake, take your foot off the accelerator slowly to ensure that the vehicle does not jerk. Depress the brake pedal progressively. If the brakes are applied suddenly and fiercely, the wheels could lock and you could lose control. All ability to steer is lost with locked wheels. Steering control can be regained by reducing pressure sufficiently on the brake pedal to allow the wheels to start rolling again.

A lower gear should not be used to reduce speed or replace braking. And remember, both hands must be on the steering wheel all the time while braking.

The next action is the use of gears.

Appropriate gear selection

Vehicles equipped with automatic transmission will select the correct gear for the acceleration required. Effective acceleration depends on understanding the potential of the engine and gear ratios. The ability of the driver to match the correct gear smoothly with engine revolutions and road speed depends on the precise use of the clutch, accelerator and gears. Once the gear change is completed, the hand must be replaced on the steering wheel and the foot removed from the clutch pedal.

When a reduction in speed is necessary, the braking must be completed before a lower gear is selected.

The use of mirrors and blind spot check, signal, mirrors and brakes followed by the selection of the correct gear has ensured that the vehicle is in the correct position to drive round or way from a hazard.

Blind spot check

Considering that some time has elapsed since the last check of the blind spot, one needs to look again to ensure that nothing has since moved into the blind spot. Remember that the first blind spot check was to see if it was safe to signal; now we must check if it is safe to steer – in other words to change direction. Of course, as in the case of the first blind spot check, the second one may be omitted if no change in direction is made.

Steer

A safe method for holding the steering wheel is with both the hands in the ten-to-two or quarter-to-three position so that the pull-push steering method comes naturally. You have a more balanced position when the hands are in a horizontal position opposite each other on the steering wheel. This means that the hands will not cross when the steering wheel is turned.

When turning left with the hands in the ten-to-two or quarter-to-three position, the grip is tightened on the left hand, which pulls the wheel down. The right hand also moves down along the rim, joining the left hand at the six-thirty position at the bottom of the wheel. The grip is now changed so that the right hand now grips the wheel and pushes upwards, while the left hand moves along the rim towards the twelve o’clock position where both hands meet.

To turn right, the same method is used, but the first action would be for the right hand to grip the wheel and pull down to the six-thirty position, followed by the left hand pushing upwards. This is known as the pull-push steering method.

Remember, the steering must not be turned while the vehicle is stationary.

Accelerate

As you start the turn, accelerate gently and progressively without causing the vehicle to jerk. As part of the continual "search and identify" process, the condition of the road surface must also be observed so that the appropriate acceleration is applied.

After the turn or hazard has been negotiated and the wheels straightened, check the rear once more.

(Extracts from the "Systems of Vehicle Control, Hints for Drivers of Heavy Vehicles" published by the Department of Transport: Directorate Traffic Safety, Pretoria)

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