Commercial Vehicles

Perhaps one of the more difficult aspects of driving is taking responsibility for your actions when you drive your vehicle or your employer's vehicle. We tend to sit anonymously in the confines of the passenger compartment and not feel obligated to exercise our social manners toward the other unfamiliar drivers around us.

This video is an excellent illustration of the "No Zone," an area around a heavy commercial truck where the driver has difficulty seeing small vehicles. All drivers should view this video as it will change their attitude about sharing the road for good. If you do find yourself in the "No Zone," never spend any longer there than you have to.

Did you know that in Québec, 360 accidents involving a vehicle tire occurred over a period of 10 years, including some ten fatal accidents directly attributable to heavy vehicle tire blowout or explosion? This fact sheet presents the phenomenon of mechanical blowout of heavy vehicle tires mounted on wheels, and the process and events that lead to tire blowout or explosion as a result of heat buildup.

Driver fatigue is an important causal factor in many highway crashes—and is of particular concern in the trucking industry where many operators undertake long haul drives with limited amounts of sleep. Previous studies suggest that fatigue can affect steering performance and speed control.

Are you concerned with heavy truck safety on BC highways? The Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has produced a report described by the following excerpt:

Speed limiters or governors, are devices that control a vehicle engine to only permit reaching a pre-programmed maximum speed. The limited response to this study suggests that limiters reduce the occurrence of crashes, save fuel and reduce tire wear.