Truck drivers are the backbone of the economy, and their safety is of the utmost importance. Not only are they at special risk of traffic
accidents, but truck driving comes with a host of other dangers. The easiest way to stay safe while driving any vehicle is being aware of your surroundings and making sure your vehicle is up to maintenance standards and driving defensively, while also understanding the physics of the load you are hauling. Here are some good pieces of safety equipment any trucker should have available to them, whether stuck on the road after an accident or simply while unloading.
Most companies recommend wearing a hard hat the second you exit the cab of your truck. Hauling heavy and dangerous items puts you at extra risk of injury from heavy or sharp items falling on you. Opening your truck for inspections or unloading are also a risk, should anything have shifted or come loose from restraining straps. Having a hard hat at the ready is a great way to prevent an on-the-job injury.
Work sites of all kinds can be excessively loud and potentially filled with flying dangerous objects. Even a small piece of debris can cause serious eye injury, and extra exposure means extra risk. At least a pair of ear plugs and wraparound eye protection should be kept on you for unloading or for moving around worksites you may need to be at. You can find good quality protective eye and ear protection in
most hardware stores
When you’re outside of your truck, at the side of the road or otherwise, you’re a pedestrian, now. Pedestrians need to make their presence known however they can. While you should have flares and reflective barricades for your truck, you also need to make yourself an obvious thing to avoid. High visibility (reflective) vests and other clothing are a great way to ensure that you are visible and to avoid an accident.
Whether you’re opening the back of your trailer for the 1,000th time or just handling a tool, having good protective gloves, such as the kind made of Kevlar, is key to preventing hand injury. We all need our hands, but you need yours to drive and to make a living. Don’t take any of your extremities or your experience for granted – assume that dangers are just that – dangerous – and plan ahead.
A good pair of boots are critical to comfort and safety. You should shop around and find a pair that make driving comfortable and also can protect you (steel toes, etc) from potential injury from heavy falling items. You should also be sure that the boots have good arch support, as a long time using your feet without arch support can be very painful and damaging.
If you have been in a trucking accident, contact RS Law Offices so that you can find out all of your legal options.
blogs
Five Apps for Bicyclists
Bicycle accidents happen all the time in the United States, and practicing bicycle safety is relatively simple – it just involves a lot of mindful riding and the safest possible equipment. Another part of safe bicycle riding is making sure you have your routes planned out and, in the case of an emergency, it doesn’t […]
Five Apps Every Trucker Should Have
Driving a tractor trailer or any other large vehicle isn’t just about long hours, lots of miles and making sure you’re still driving safely after those lengthy days. It’s a lifestyle, and like any other connected lifestyle in the 21st century, there are plenty of apps to go around designed to help make a truck […]
Apps for Increased Rideshare Safety
Rideshares can be fun and convenient, but if you’re putting your life in the hands of a stranger by taking a rideshare, you’ll want to feel safe. No one wants to be put in a situation where they feel unsafe or lost, or where they might end up in a ridesharingaccident. Here are some apps […]
California Lemon Laws: How Exactly Do They Work?
Buying a car in California, whether brand new or slightly used is always an exciting experience. Even if you already have a few in your garage, the thought of painting the town red in a new ride is nothing but thrilling. So, it can be incredibly disappointing if your new or used car keeps on […]
Winter Slip and Fall Accident Tips
Whether your winter is cold and snowy or just plain cold, winter is a time when slipand fall accidents are increasingly likely. Cold, wind, ice and snow are problems on their own and when they combine, it’s a perfect storm of injury possibilities. Typically, these conditions result in bruises and bumps, but there’s always the […]
How Dangerous Are Motorcycle Accidents?
Motorcyclists are more likely to die in a traffic accident than people inside passenger cars. In fact, they are 28 times more likely, due to a number of factors, including things like potential low visibility from the blind spots of other vehicles around them. Motorcycles are also most likely to be involved in collisions with […]
Winter Driving Safety Tips
Having your winter tires installed on your car and packing a windshield scraper is a good start to being prepared to drive in the winter, but as the cold weather gets harsher, the driving conditions get worse. With this comes the tendency for some people to overcorrect or not know how to stop properly, or […]
How Dangerous are Ride Shares?
Everyone with a smartphone now has access to the next generation of personalized, private transportation. It used to be a matter of calling and reserving a cab or, in some places, hailing one from the side of the road. Since ridesharing is a new phenomenon, however, all of the kinks are still being worked out, […]
Five Safety Products for Motorcycle Riders
Approximately ten percent of motor vehicle deaths in the United States can be attributed to motorcycleaccidents. Safe riding and defensive driving are important to all motor vehicle operations, of course, but making sure you’re stocked up on the right equipment to make your ride as safe as possible is critical to avoiding accidents or, in […]
Tips for Avoiding Slip & Fall Accidents
Slipping and falling is hilarious in the movies and on TV, but when you enter the real world, slipsand falls are some of the most dangerous causes of personal injuries one can experience outside of a vehicle accident. Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere and for many reasons – a simple spill, a loose […]
formulario de contacto
