We don’t talk anymore

Do you believe that trucks “talk” to drivers, or that roads “talk” to trucks? JIM WARD believes that a lack of talking can cause accidents.

 Road accidents and investigations into their causes have evolved into their own subject. One of the clearest possible descriptions of a truck accident was shared with me by a technical colleague. At the time, we were required to produce highly detailed accident reports. Specialist staff would investigate major accidents in great depth, including looking at any significant events leading up to the incident. Their investigations would add to the ongoing statistical analyses.

We knew at what time of day accidents most frequently occurred, whereabouts vehicles were most vulnerable to impact, the average hours of driving prior to events, and the most common prevailing weather conditions, types of terrain, roads, traffic density, and so on. Any “major” accident (one involving serious injury or a fatality) would entail a full investigation, and operations staff had to make formal accident presentations to EXCO… never something to look forward to.

In those days, there were blessedly few accidents. On the rare occasions when they did happen, however, they tended to be big; the one in question was monumental. A partially laden Hazchem tanker had rolled over on a wet road. Costs were enormous and there was a spill involved: the clean-up and rehabilitation of the surrounding soil and vegetation would take weeks, while the lost load itself had significant value. On top of this, the combination was of course one of the most expensive rigs in use.

The accident boiled down to a combination of circumstances: it was raining, and the driver was a stand-in. He was asked to take the regular driver’s place because the latter had taken ill, and he was accustomed to driving a different truck and trailer.

After several hours of questioning to unpack the root cause, there was a welcome break. During the caucus, the shop steward (an experienced driver himself) made an interesting summation: “The truck was not talking nicely to the driver, and the road was not talking nicely to the truck.” This comment has stayed with me ever since. They were not talking nicely. That, in a nutshell, is why the accident happened.

It makes perfect sense. As a driver, you may know this exact feeling. When you are not in touch with the vehicle and it isn’t giving enough feedback about what the road surface is doing, you may feel an odd sense of insecurity – especially as an experienced driver. That mental detachment can stem from a multitude of sources, but fatigue, bad weather, difficult terrain, and an unfamiliar vehicle will almost always be near the top of the list. It was a very apt, albeit unscientific, description of an accident.

Accident statistics may be painful and tedious to collate, but a close examination of historical data allows operations managers to issue specific warnings and updates to drivers whenever prevailing conditions have been found to increase the likelihood of accidents. This might be as simple as a brief status check on the alertness of a driver working a night shift, or warning trucks about heavy weather or traffic delays. 

The human activity of conversation during long hours behind the wheel can sometimes act as a stimulus; a skilled despatcher will pick up fatigue in the driver’s voice even from thousands of kilometres away. An experienced one might even instruct them to pull over, walk around the combination, and carry out a tyre inspection, just to give the driver’s mind a chance to refresh and reboot.

Technology, as it applies to heavy goods vehicles, is magnificent. It offers all manner of driver assistance. But, once a truck has left the yard, the driver is on their own. All key decisions concerning speed versus conditions, braking distance, driving gaps, and situational visibility do not involve anyone else. Drivers police themselves to a large degree.

Accidents happen when the rate at which external events unfold or the number of events that occur overwhelm the driver’s capacity to process them. For example, a child may run out in front of your vehicle at the moment the phone rings – just as a taxi stops dead suddenly and unexpectedly in an intersection. Driver aids may lessen the final impact, affording a driver fractionally more reaction time, but ultimately that split second moment in time can happen to anyone.

Being aware in advance of what can create those “trigger” conditions and being trained for the sensation when the vehicle feedback stops can lessen the likelihood of those heart-stopping moments. It can also ensure that all drivers are informed about accident causations, which can assist in preventing those accidents in the first place.