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Jul 19, 2017

MALICIOUSNESS ACCIDENTS * France: On trucks carrying hazardous materials

* Paris - Hazardous materials: Securing vehicle parking lots

--- The accidents at Bassens and Jonquières accelerated the work carried out jointly by the French Association for the Road Transport of Hazardous Materials and the Ministry of Ecology to secure vehicles when they were not on the road... "Maliciousness is the probable cause of these disasters, the carriers of which appear to be the first victims," ​​explains Marc Mortureux, Director General of Risk Prevention, hence the desire to take effective, reliable and proportionate measures "Although they may have constraints on companies, we have sought maximum realism." A study carried out by Ineris, the National Institute for the Industrial Environment and Risks, will have to confirm if this goal is reached... The draft text presented to the members of the ATMD "is not entirely closed," says Mortureux. It introduces provisions relating to parking in the annex to the TDG directive on road transport... 
(Photo: 3 explosions in an industrial area of Bassens, Bordeaux, France) -- Paris, France - ACTU Transport et Logistique - 18 July 2017

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Apr 2, 2016

ELECTRIC INCIDENTS with TRUCKS * Australia

* New South Wales - Spike in electrical incidents sparks warning
-- Drivers and machinery operators are warned to be vigilant around powerlines and aware of emergency response procedures after an increase in vehicles contacting Essential Energy's overhead electricity network across New South Wales last month... General Manager Safety, HR and Environment, David Nardi, said the February incidents - 14 in southern NSW, seven in northern NSW and five on the North Coast - had highlighted the importance of operator awareness of load and machinery heights in relation to overhead powerlines... In the event of contact with the electricity network, Essential Energy advises drivers and operators to remain inside the vehicle and treat all powerlines as live... "If it's unsafe to stay inside the vehicle, such as in the event of a fire, drivers should jump well clear to avoid simultaneous contact with the vehicle and the ground," Mr Nardi said... "Land with your feet together and shuffle in this position until you are eight metres clear of the vehicle, powerlines or anything in contact with them. Once clear, do not return to the vehicle for any reason" ... Essential Energy recommends operators and drivers practice this evacuation technique on a regular basis... "It's important to remember that when a vehicle contacts powerlines, it causes an electrical current to flow through it which can result in tyres exploding either on contact or up to 24 hours later, due to a build-up of heat and gas," Mr Nardi said... "A tyre explosion can be violent and throw debris up to 300 metres, potentially seriously injuring people nearby so stay well clear of the vehicle. Contrary to popular belief, tyres do not insulate against electricity as they contain carbon black and metal, which are conductors" ... 
(Photo: High voltage power lines and trucks)   --  Sidney, NSW, Australia - Big Rigs, by Cobey Bartels - 31st Mar 2016

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Mar 25, 2013

CAFFEINE MAY REDUCE AUTO ACCIDENTS * Australia

* NSW - Go On, Have Another Coffee Cup 

(Photo: Truckers' coffee) 
 -The Car Connection, by Richard Read -Mar 22, 2013: -- If you like coffee as much as we do, this Friday is about to get a whole lot better. Not only does java make a great eye-opener, but according to a report in BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal), it could also keep you safer on the road... That claim comes from researchers in Australia, who interviewed 1,047 long-haul truck drivers -- 530 of whom who had been involved in a collision within the previous year, and 517 who hadn't. They also asked drivers' about their caffeine consumption and divided respondents into three groups: low, moderate, and high. Folks in the "low" group consumed under 200 mg of caffeine per day, which is roughly equivalent to two cups of coffee or a couple of energy drinks. Those who downed 200-400 mg of caffeine were put in the "moderate" group, and those above 400 mg were in the "high" group... After correcting, for other factors, the scientists reached a clear conclusion: Consumption of caffeinated drinks can reduce the risk of crashing among long distance commercial motor vehicle drivers by 63% compared with drivers who do not report taking caffeinated stimulants for the purpose of staying awake while driving...

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May 25, 2011

TRUCKS ACCIDENTS * New Zealand - Truck crashes raise fears

Two logging truck crashes in two days


Mangakahia,Titoki,Northland,N.Z.-The Northen Advocate, by Joseph Aldridge -25 May 2011: -- School authorities are concerned for the safety of their students following logging truck crashes on Mangakahia Rd on two consecutive mornings... Police suspect the first crash, which happened at Pakotai about 6am on Monday, was caused by a mechanical problem... Yesterday's crash happened about 10km up the road towards Titoki at about 5.30am... Figures from the Northland logging industry predict that the current 95 logging trucks on nearby Otaika Valley Rd daily are will increase to 226 a day by 2020... Police had not indicated there was any problem with Mangakahia Rd... The WDC is looking to run a education campaign, in conjunction with trucking companies, to get truck drivers to slow down on corners... The programme, which will start in the new financial year, will encourage truck drivers to take corners 10km/h slower than the speed recommended on corner signs... (Photo by Michael Cunningham - WOOD WORRIES: Mangakahia Area School manager Lesley McCardle is concerned about the safety of children waiting for school buses after two logging truck crashes in two days)

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Aug 10, 2009

TRUCKS ACCIDENTS * Australia - ATA calls for safety procedure upgrade as rigid truck fatalities climb

The Australian Trucking Association says companies that operate heavy rigid trucks must upgrade their safety procedures, as new figures indicate an increase in fatalities

Canberra,Australia -Safe to Work -10 August 2009: ... On 31 July 2009, the Federal Infrastructure Department released a Quarterly Bulletin on Fatal Heavy Vehicle Crashes Australia for the October to December 2008 period... The figures in the report show there were 90 fatal crashes and 95 fatalities involving heavy rigid trucks in 2008, compared to 78 fatal crashes and 83 fatalities in 2007... Queensland and Western Australia recorded the highest increases in the number of fatal crashes involving heavy rigid trucks. In Queensland, these crashes increased from 10 in 2007 to 21 in 2008; in Western Australia, they increased from 10 in 2007 to 17 in 2008... According to the ATA, the increase in fatalities was unacceptable, and has called for heavy rigid truck users to take a long, hard look at their safety systems... The ATA says companies can join its TruckSafe program to ensure they meet strict safety standards...

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Sep 22, 2008

NEIGHBORHOOD COMPLAINS * USA - Many factors bring truckers into town, but no one is required to use bypass

Fatal semi/pedestrian accident

Crookston,MN,USA -The Crookston Daily Times, by Mike Christopherson -September 19, 2008: -- If the investigation into last week's fatal semi/pedestrian accident in downtown Crookston determines that the driver of the semi was somehow in the wrong, it won't be because he came through town instead of using the truck bypass..."To my knowledge, there's no requirement that any trucks take the bypasses," said Crookston Police Chief Tim Motherway. "You get drivers unfamiliar with the area and they might drive right past the bypasses not knowing what they are. But they aren't breaking the law when they do that"... If the investigation into last week's fatal semi/pedestrian accident in downtown Crookston determines that the driver of the semi was somehow in the wrong, it won't be because he came through town instead of using the truck bypass... (Mike Christopherson, photographer - PLAN B? - Thursday afternoon, this semi carrying an oversized load had to pull over on University Avenue because its cargo - a part for a dryer unit - at 18 feet tall, would have hit the railroad underpass on Sixth Street near Arby's. In the photo, the driver of the security company pickup escorting the semi speaks to a Minnesota State Patrol trooper, far left. The security representative said the semi was coming into Crookston on U.S. Highway 2 East but had to detour because a section of the eastbound lanes is closed due to cracking in the road caused by soil instability near the Red Lake River. The detour route brought the semi into town, where it became clear the cargo was too big to make it through downtown. About a half-hour later, the semi turned around and left Crookston on Highway 2 West)


* Residents fear the worst from intermodals

Joliet,IL,USA -The Joliet Herald News, by STEWART WARREN SWARREN -September 21, 2008: -- At the CenterPoint Intermodal Center, the diesel trucks go on forever... In a single hour, hundreds rumble through Elwood's 2,200-acre industrial park -- and the place is open around the clock, seven days a week. Some bring cargo in, others haul it out... The yard is a transfer point for goods, a spot to shift materials from a train to a truck, or a truck to a train... When it opened in October 2002, CenterPoint was the economic pride and joy of Will County. It brought the promise of more development to sleepy little Elwood. There were hundreds and then thousands of new jobs. At the time, everyone was high on CenterPoint... In the years since, other intermodals have been proposed for Will County and neighboring Grundy County. One is coming to Crete; another is in the works for Wilmington Township; the planning continues for the Seneca I-80 Railport; and CenterPoint is opening a sister intermodal south of Joliet... But the atmosphere has changed... (Photo by John Patsch - Laurie Summers (left) and Jill Hornick are concerned about the intermodal that is planned for Crete. They worry about the traffic and the proximity to schools and homes)


* Collisions persist between trucks and a hard place

West Harrison,NY,USA -The Lower Hudson Journal news -September 22, 2008: -- More than once a day, a tractor-trailer rig or some other truck gets onto one of Westchester County's winding parkways, where they're not allowed... Most of the drivers get right back off or get stopped by county police, who ticket them and tell them that the parkways are for passenger vehicles only. But some truck drivers - 29 so far this year - don't learn the lesson until they find out the hard way... The very hard way. As hard as the stone and steel of the parkways' low overpasses, which can rip the top off a passing trailer before a driver can stop his truck... Meanwhile, the accidents continue to happen. County police Capt. John Hodges, who has been on the county police force about 25 years, said it seems to be happening more frequently. That may be in part because drivers are relying on global positioning system devices and direction-generating Web sites that don't note which roads prohibit commercial traffic... (Photo by Danielle De Souza/The Journal News - This tractor-trailer was badly damaged when it struck the King Street overpass on the Hutchinson River Parkway last month. It was one of 29 trucks to strike a bridge or overpass on the region's parkways this year)


* Violations increase at I-95 truck weigh station

Greenwich,CONN,USA -The Courant/Associated Press -September 22, 2008: -- Violations recorded among big rigs checked at the Interstate 95 weigh station in Greenwich more than doubled after state police expanded the inspection hours, according to new state figures... The station, one of six in the state, recorded 5,236 safety and equipment violations in tractor-trailers and other large trucks in the first six months of 2008. That generated more than $1.2 million in fines... By comparison, the same period in 2007 produced 2,359 violations and $642,000 in fines... The 2008 boost came after Gov. M. Jodi Rell and lawmakers ordered weigh stations to be open more often... The new figures bolster the arguments of transportation advocates and others who have pushed for years to expand weigh station hours, said Jill Kelly, co-chairwoman of the Connecticut Citizens Transportation Lobby...

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Feb 19, 2008

WARNING TRUCKERS WORLDWIDE * What Should I Do If I Have Been in a Truck Accident?·

* Iceland - Protect Against Lawsuits with On-board Computers

Reykjavik,Iceland -Automating Fleet Management, by Heimir Sverrisson (Former Professor University of Iceland and Reykjavik University) -18 Feb 2008: --

* Render first aid and summon medical professionals.
* Contact an attorney as soon as possible. He will send investigators to the site, advise you of your rights, and recommend steps to take.
* DON'T GIVE STATEMENTS to police, an insurance adjuster, the other driver(s), or bystanders. Any admission of fault can reduce your ability to recover damages.
* If possible, take photos of damage to both vehicles, debris, your visible injuries, and the general scene.
* Get contact information from any witnesses before they leave the scene (let your attorney get their statements).
* Record the truck driver's name and driver's license, license plate numbers of the cab and trailer.
* Exchange personal information (including insurance information) with all drivers involved.
* See a doctor as soon as possible. Seemingly minor injuries can turn out to be serious — brain trauma, fractured bones, soft tissue injury. Carefully document your injuries, your treatment, and your recovery over the next weeks and months.
* Report the accident to your insurance agent, but stick to basic facts (where it occurred, when, vehicles involved). DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without talking to your attorney.
* Make sure that your vehicle and the truck are inspected before any repairs are made. Your attorney can arrange this.

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