New report calls for improvements to trucker safety

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Size really does matter when it comes to safety on our roads. Dealing with distractions or fatigue behind the wheel can be dangerous for any driver, but a new report points out the consequences are often much more extreme when it comes to big rigs.

The Traffic Injury Research Foundation’s safety bulletin focuses on reducing the number of crashes involving semis and other large trucks, pushing for things like better training and the mandatory adoption of electronic driver logs in Canada.

“The conclusions aren’t surprising,” says Louise Yako, President and CEO of the BC Trucking Association. “Generally speaking, even though the results are clearly devastating when truck crashes occur, the truck crash rate is actually quite low — lower than for passenger cars — but there is opportunity for improvement,” she tells NEWS 1130.

“Our association has been working toward a training standard for quite some time and we have been looking to government to partner on that.”

Yako adds driver fatigue is a more complex issue. “One of the changes we are anticipating in the US, and we are hoping to see soon in Canada, is the mandating of electronic, onboard recording devices. What they do is record with great precision when drivers are working, ensuring they are in compliance with the allowed hours of service.”

But she says dealing with driver fatigue also requires involvement from shippers and trucking companies willing to look at what can be done to reduce it. “A lot of the changes can be very simple, but everybody has a role to play in that.”

Yako says electronic logs will help, allowing drivers and companies to have informed conversations with customers about what they can do to reduce driver wait times and the subsequent pressure to get goods moving.

The electronic recorders would also eliminate the opportunity to tweak paper logs, letting drivers put in more hours than they are allowed to behind the wheel.