There are No Stupid Questions

You know the old saying about what happens when you “assume” something: you risk making an “ass” out of “u” and “me.” In that lull between vehicle accidents, it’s easy to sit back and think your drivers know all they need to know about operating safely. And then the relative quiet is interrupted by a phone call, and you begin to ask what mistakes the driver made-and start to question the overall effectiveness of your safety program.

Why wait until then to start asking questions? Ask your drivers lots of them, about anything related to safety, and all the time. You may not get the correct answer in every case, but you’ll stimulate thought and have the opportunity at that point to talk about the right answer. Believe me, you’ll create awareness by doing this, and that’s what safety is really all about.
Draw your inspiration from the world around you. When the newspaper publishes a story about a traffic accident, post it and ask what happened and how could it have been avoided.

This kind of open-ended question can create a great debate and allow open dialogue.

Professional drivers usually understand the corrective action required to avoid an accident, or through open discussion will come to the correct answers, at which point you acknowledge the correct response and review why it’s the correct answer.

This simple but effective tool requires little or no time and doesn’t require you to organize a formal meeting. Write up the scenario or photocopy the headline, then attach your question and ask your drivers to think about it during their trip and bring back their written response. Then your supervisor can do a one-on-one review on their return.

You could even use this technique in a truckload carrier operation, communicating the question to all driver personnel via the satellite system. Dangle an incentive to participate. Offer a prize for the correct answer.

The more challenging or mortifying the question or scenario, the more effective you will be in creating awareness. Here are some questions you may wish to pose. In most cases, there is no right answer, but some answers may be better than others, depending on your operation:

1) How many feet does it take to come to a complete stop if your truck is travelling 60 mph?

2) What other factors can negatively affect your vehicles’ stopping capability, therefore increasing the required distance?

3) If you back off from running at 65 mph to 60, you know you’ll safe fuel, but does operating at a lower speed have an impact on safety?

4) If your child or your spouse were to hitch a ride in your truck, would you need to modify the way you drive and act?

5) Does cell phone use seriously detract from a driver’s ability to properly concentrate and recognize hazards? What can you do to protect yourself?

6) What part of the roadway do I have the most direct control over when it comes to maintaining a vehicle safety cushion? Front of vehicle? Sides of the vehicle? Rear of the vehicle?

7) When you’re operating in heavy traffic, what specific things do you look for that may pose a risk to you so that you can react and prevent a collision?

8) Do you control your anger while driving, or does your anger control you? Do a self-analysis on your next trip.

9) How many component items are there to be checked in a pretrip inspection? Can you name them?

10) When you exit the truck cab, do you use the three-point exit routine? (using both hand rails and footholds)

11) What company consequences are there for you, if you garner too many moving violations on your driver’s abstract?

12) Is your company responsible for your driving performance and conduct while you are operating their equipment? Do you drive accordingly?

Such questions open the door to a better understanding of risk. For instance, how many truck drivers in Canada are killed or injured in a collision with a train at railway crossings in a one-year period? The answer: about 200.

You don’t have to pose questions. Ask your drivers to go out and gather specific information. Tell your drivers to document an unsafe driving practice they saw a four-wheeler pull during the course of their run. Or better yet, have them document an unsafe move made by a rookie or renegade truck driver.

All I’m trying to get across here is that talking about “safety” does not require a formal three-hour meeting. It only takes a few minutes and little forethought.