Keeping your view crystal clear

Over many years of auditing heavy vehicles, VIC OLIVER has been amazed at how many truck drivers fail to keep the front windscreens of their vehicles clean. The lack of a crystal clear view may even be the difference between life and death…

Many drivers start their journey with a dirty windscreen, without checking that there is sufficient water in the windscreen washer holder. Windscreen wiper blades are another oft forgotten check item; without good wiper blades the windscreen cannot be properly kept clean while driving.

Dirt and mud often splash up onto the front windscreen when driving in rainy weather, resulting in very poor visibility. This is especially true at night, sunrise, and sunset, when a dirty or dusty windscreen can increase the glare from headlights and the low angle of the sun, exacerbating reduced visibility. A dusty windscreen also fogs up more easily, as airborne moisture attaches itself to the dust particles.

Grease on the interior of the windscreen has much the same effect as dust – even the fingertips can leave a greasy smear on the glass that only becomes apparent when it catches the sun and blinds the driver. People may not realise the number of times they actually touch the glass, whether to try and get rid of an irritating fly, or to wipe grime off the inside of the windscreen.

The dangers of an impaired view

Good driving requires more than the ability to master the controls of a vehicle; it requires constant observation and assessment of the road ahead and everything that is happening in the surrounding environment. The more the driver can see of what is going on around the vehicle, the more clues they will pick up of likely road hazards.

An impaired view from cab reduces the driver’s ability to assess what is happening ahead of and around the vehicle, potentially preventing them from applying advanced driving skills such as identifying road hazards and anticipating possible outcomes, increasing the risk of a crash.

Observation and alertness are key: the driver needs to have the eyes of a detective looking for clues that could be the start of a road hazard. A vehicle emerging from a side road or farm gate may not stop, smoke in the distance could result in zero visibility ahead, and skid marks on the road could indicate a high accident zone. An insecure load on the vehicle in front could fall at any second, while approaching vehicles could wander across or even off the road… the potential scenarios are almost limitless.

Keeping the front windscreen clean may seem inconsequential compared to all the other hazards in the life of a long-haul driver. But a dirty windscreen may be all it takes to mask danger on the road. It can stop the driver from identifying road hazards early enough to avoid them, anticipating what could happen, deciding what action to take if necessary, and then executing the action.

A crystal clear windscreen allows this sequence of advanced driving skills to flow smoothly, reducing the chances of being involved in a crash. At the end of the day, this could save lives.