Defensive driver training
Dean Olejniczak NPTC - CTP
National Private Truck Counsel - Certified Transportation Professional
Defensive driver training—Think outside the box to prepare drivers
Most carriers train their drivers on defensive driving, compliance requirements, company policies and procedures, and other day-to-day topics. However, do you train your drivers on what to do when the unexpected happens on the road? Do your drivers know what to do if:
- They blow a steer tire?
- They wander too far right while driving and drop off the pavement?
- Someone is coming at them in their lane on a two-lane road?
There is a saying when it comes to training for high-stress, low-frequency events such as these: "The body cannot go where the mind has not been." In other words, if the individual has not thought about what to do in an emergency situation, the outcome will be unpredictable when one is encountered. So how do you get an individual thinking correctly when it comes to emergency situations? The answer is almost always training.
Handling a tire blowout
In the case of a steer-tire blowout, the driver needs to know NOT to hit the brakes. The driver needs to ADD power to keep the vehicle directionally stable for the first few seconds after the blowout.
This seems counter-intuitive, but the additional power is what will keep the vehicle going straight. If the driver applies the brakes, the side force of the missing steer tire will pull the vehicle in the direction of the blowout.
The side force can be strong enough to cause the driver to lose control. Once the driver has solid directional control, he or she should do a controlled reduction in speed. In short, the driver needs to know to overcome the urge to slam on the brakes when a steer-tire blowout occurs.
Responding to leaving the roadway
In the case of leaving the roadway, the driver needs to slow down and decide when to steer back onto the roadway. When appropriate, the driver needs to steer quickly back onto the road and then remember to immediately counter steer to maintain control and stay in the correct lane. Simply yanking the wheel hard left and hoping, which is what many drivers will do instinctively, is not the way to go.
Addressing an oncoming vehicle
Finally, in the case of an oncoming vehicle in the driver's lane, the correct action is brake, hit the horn, steer right, and identifying the softest landing pad if it comes down to hitting something. Steering left is normally not a good option because the other driver's instinctive reaction will be to steer right to get out of trouble. By going right, your driver is giving the other driver the opportunity to also rely on instinct (steer right) and still be okay. In short, the driver needs to know not to instinctively dodge the other vehicle without a plan.
In all three cases, and in other emergency situations, if you haven't loaded alternatives into the driver's brain, he or she will react instinctively, which won't always be right.