IT PAYS TO BE SAFE
No. 24, June, 2010
Driving Emergencies
Increased traffic in the summer time means a commercial driver's chances of encountering a driving emergency are significantly higher. If an emergency does occur, a driver's chances of avoiding a crash depend upon how well a driver uses their defensive skills. This week's It Pays to be Safe discusses the proper steering techniques to use in order to avoid a crash.
While it is preferable to try to stop your vehicle prior to encountering an emergency, this is not always a realistic option. If there is not room enough to stop, you may have to steer away from what's ahead. Always keep in mind that most times you can turn to miss an obstacle more quickly than you can stop.
A quick turn can be made safely, as long as proper technique is used. In order to turn quickly, a driver must have both hands on the wheel and maintain a firm grip. Remember too that you should not apply the brakes while you are turning, you should not turn any more than needed to clear the obstacle that is ahead of you, and you should be prepared to "counter-steer." This means that you should be prepared to turn the wheel back in the other direction once you've passed the obstacle in your path.
Where to steer completely depends upon the particular circumstances a driver encounters. For example, if an oncoming driver has drifted into your lane, a move to the right is your best option because when the other driver realizes what they have done, they're natural response will be to return to his or her own lane. In other instances, it is best to make your judgment after checking your mirrors to determine whether any adjacent lanes are empty, or whether the shoulder is open and thus is your best option.
In some emergencies, you may have to drive off the road, which could be less risky than facing a collision with another vehicle. Bear in mind that most shoulders are strong enough to support the weight of a large vehicle and therefore offer an available escape route, provided there are no obstacles on that shoulder such as guardrails, overpasses or bridge abutments. If you use the shoulder as an escape route, you should try to keep at least one set of wheels on the pavement if possible in order to maintain control, and you should turn sharply enough to get right back on the road safely, rather than returning gradually. This will prevent your tires from being grabbed unexpectedly, which could cause you to lose control of your vehicle.
Using a proper steering technique to avoid a crash is important to remember. Those simple techniques will help ensure your safety.
