In the transportation industry we often hear the terms “at fault crashes” and “preventable crashes” used interchangeably. In fact, the two terms are often confused.
By Mike Hitchcock, ICSA Safety Consultant
Determining who is at fault will often depend on the applicable laws and the evidence collected at the scene. Preventability is completely different, particularly for professional drivers. Let me give you an example.
You are driving through a residential area, doing the speed limit and, while you are checking your left mirror, a vehicle backs out of a driveway on the right-hand side of the street, and you hit them. Is this crash your fault? No! Was it preventable on your part?
To determine preventability, we always ask two questions.
If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then the crash is considered preventable. Is it possible to not be at fault but be involved in what would be considered a preventable crash? Yes, we often see this. Could the crash be determined as preventable on the part of both drivers? Yes.
Being a professional driver means more than getting paid to drive. It means making good decisions. I often talk to professional drivers and hear comments like “I can’t handle being on the road with all the idiots out there” and “I’m tired of being cut off by four wheelers - they drive me crazy."
Individually, we won’t change how four wheelers drive but, the best drivers on the highway don’t let it get under their skin. When they get cut off, they just grin a little and say, “I expected you to do that and to drive that way."
None of us is perfect but the more we hold ourselves to a higher standard, the better example we set for the motoring public. Driving responsibly will save lives, it is smart business, it’s good for the image of our industry and it’s the professional way to behave on the road.
Every year, TAT (formerly called Truckers Against Trafficking) honors a member of the trucking, bus or energy industry, whose direct actions help save or improve the lives of those exploited or prevent human trafficking from taking place, with the Harriet Tubman Award
Bob Costello has indicated that the freight market has improved – but very slowly – since January. It must be said that ATA’s indices are dominated by contract freight as opposed to spot rates.
Now, however, with Republican control of both houses of Congress and the White House (and, some say, the Supreme Court) I am optimistic that trucking will get a fairer shake than it has during Biden’s term in office.