Category: dangerous driving

Preventing Road Rage: Stay Calm And Keep Driving

Posted on September 29, 2017 by - dangerous driving, driving angry, Driving distracted, road rage, rookie drivers, trick drivers, trucker health, Trucker Safety, truckers

ExpressTruckTax emphasizes the importance of trucker safety

We have all gone hulk once or twice. Maybe it was for acceptable reasons and maybe it was a tragic overreaction to something. Either way, since birth people are taught to be in control of their own emotions because anger can be dangerous, especially when it enters our roads.

Recent Road Rage…

The Nation’s highways are already filled with dangers such as driving tired and driving distracted, and that’s only made worse when people are driving angry. Recently, in Allentown, Pa, a trucker named Ernest S.Weisburg was so consumed with road rage that he began hurling rocks out of his window, striking a van.

The victims followed the trucker until state troopers were able to pull the driver over, and when they did they found 3 more rocks behind Weisburg’s passenger seat. This is an example of incredibly dangerous road rage that could have lead to major wrecks and traffic deaths.

Thank you for being a responsible trucker and doing your part to keep other motorists safe, even though an influx of four wheelers can really test everyone’s patience. Let’s continue making our roads safer by taking a look at preventing road rage.

Identifying Road Rage

Road rage is known as aggressive or violent behavior coming from a driver’s uncontrolled anger towards fellow motorists and truckers on the road. Many things can cause road rage from a bad day at work to running late.

Often times road rage beings with aggressive driving such as speeding, tailgating, and not using a blinker. If you notice yourself doing these things take a moment to calm down before your situation escalates.

Road rage is extremely dangerous because it’s distracting. Usually when involved in road rage drivers are looking at other motorists instead of the road, making it easy to run into objects or other vehicles.

Drivers also have the tendency to make obscene gestures at other motorists, meaning they don’t have both hands on the wheel. With only one hand on the wheel is can be much easier to lose control of your own semi truck.

Those involved with road rage may also speed up and maneuver dangerously around each other, putting themselves and other drivers at risk. In severe cases, vehicles will try to push each other off the road or use weapons to cause harm.

Road rage could result in the loss of your life, traffic deaths, vehicle damage, physical damage, fines, going to court, going to jail, and more. It’s best to just keep calm and avoid it at all costs.

Preventing Road Rage

The best way to avoid road rage is to ignore other drivers, even if they are truck drivers. We sure you encounter a lot of angry people on the roads, and you’re good at not letting them get to you. Avoid eye contact with them and give them enough space to pass you so they can be on their way.

 

ExpressTruckTax wants truckers to stay safe

You can also play calming music or an interesting podcast to distract yourself from other drivers. If they seem to be getting to you just take a deep breath and go to your happy place for a few minutes until drive away. You can also pull over to gather your emotions or count backward in your head. Thinking about the consequences of your actions can also help you stay calm.

It’s a good practice to be mentally prepared for your drive. You can most likely expect other drivers who are upset during their daily commute, so go ahead and let that stress go before you even get in route.

If you find yourself in a situation that could quickly escalate into road rage it helps to wave and mouth the word ‘sorry’. Remember it’s much better to be the bigger person than another victim of road rage.

Keep On Trucking

As the holiday season approaches and more motorists get on the road remember to keep calm and continue driving safely. Road rage accounts for a high amount of traffic deaths and can be completely avoided by keeping your cool.

Please share your tips for avoiding road rage in the comment section below and visit ExpressTruckTax.com for more trucking blogs.

Why Trucking Is The Most Dangerous Profession

Posted on September 15, 2017 by - dangerous driving, Dangers of trucking, Distracted driving, Driving Tired, Improve Trucker Safety, Make roads safer, trucker health, Trucker Lives Matter, Trucker Obesity, Trucker Safety

Truck Driving is the most dangerous job

You know what we think is a honk worthy cause? Trucker safety. Not only do we want you to be safe, but we would like for the safety of all drivers on our nation’s roads to be improved. We don’t want drivers to make an early trip to the golden highway in the sky, but unfortunately, truck driving is a dangerous profession.

According to the government’s workplace fatality census, truck driving was the most hazardous job last year, so stay educated on the dangers included with your occupation and take the measures that you can to become a safer driver. Let’s check out the leading causes of dangerous trucking to spread awareness.

The Dangers On Our Roads

Distracted Driving

We understand that cell phones have gotten way better over the years, and they can do a ton of cool stuff, making them be incredibly distracting. When you’re tweeting, posting, and snap chatting behind the wheel your eyes aren’t on the road and that’s extremely dangerous.

Put your phone down unless you’re safely parked. If you need to make a call use one of the many modern hands-free devices that are available. Other causes of distracted driving include reading while driving, eating, fixing your hair, rubber necking, messing with your radio or navigation system, and more.

Driving Tired

Trucking is an exhausting job, make sure that you get the rest that you need. Driving tired causes impaired reaction time, judgment, and vision. It can also cause decreased performance, vigilance, and increased aggression. It’s basically like driving drunk. Make sure you get 8 hours of sleep a night and if you’re tired take a break to get in a power nap.

Sometimes people don’t know that they aren’t well rested because they have sleep apnea, the silent killer. If you wake up feeling exhausted, with headaches, feeling confused, out of breath, or wake up due to coughing consider getting screened for sleep apnea, so you can take the steps towards correcting the issue to greatly improve your safety and quality of life.

Living An Unhealthy Lifestyle

You’ve probably seen some strange things around truck stops, including people with their bare stomachs hanging out of their shirts. That’s because truckers can gain so much weight so quickly that they grow out of their clothes before they notice. A poor diet and lack of exercise can quickly put you up the creek without a paddle.

 

Trucker Safety

Obesity can quickly lead to conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and sleep apnea. It can also increase your risk for strokes, heart attacks, gout, osteoarthritis, and more. Trucking involves a lot of sitting but you don’t have to let it destroy your health.

Pack your own meals or choose from some of the healthier fast food options. Grilled salads with avocado and hard boiled eggs are actually incredibly filling options these days. Just go easy on the dressing, cheese, and croutons. You could also try grilled chicken wraps or fish. Also, get rid of sugary soda for green tea or black coffee.

Do your best to move around a little. By taking the time to briskly walk around truck stops or your rig you will burn a sufficient amount of calories. There is also quite a bit of nifty strength training equipment you can take in your rig. 

Stay Safe Out There

We know that this information is grim, but it’s important to spread awareness in order to make our roads a safer place. On a good note, the rate of trucker fatalities has been decreasing each year. By pulling together to drive safer and to practice healthier habits in the trucking industry we can continue to improve safety.

Please add your tips about trucker safety in the comment section below and visit ExpressTruckTax.com for more trucking blogs.

Did You Know This About the FMCSA Sleep Apnea Screening Rule?

Posted on September 6, 2017 by - CPAP, dangerous driving, Driving Tired, obstructed breathing, Sleep Apnea, Sleep Apnea in truckers, sleep apnea screening, sleep deprivation, Tired Trucker, truckers

Aeroflow Industrial recently brought to our attention that a silent killer is lurking on our roads, creeping up on the unsuspecting while they sleep, or at least while they try to. It’s sleep apnea, a condition affecting over 18 million adults across the country.

Sleep apnea often goes unnoticed because it affects you when you sleep. It prevents you from getting the rest you need, so you wake up feeling exhausted. This is especially dangerous for truck drivers because driving tired is the equivalent of driving drunk.

However, truckers may be happy to know that they will face fewer regulations because FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) officially withdrew their proposed sleep apnea screening rule.

The Proposed Sleep Apnea Rule

Currently, medical examiners have the discretion to decide which drivers need to be referred for sleep apnea testing because no rules or regulations are put in place. FMCSA would have given examiners clarity and guidelines to follow.

For example, if you had a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 40 or higher you would be referred for sleep apnea testing. You would also be referred for testing if you had a BMI or 33 or higher and met other qualifications like having a collar size greater than 17 inches or having high blood pressure. The total list of qualifications can be viewed here.

Sleep apnea is a serious repository condition that can affect a driver’s abilities to safely operate their vehicle, that’s why sleep apnea screening will most likely become more prevalent in the transportation industry.

Recently in April, former driver Robert J. Parker filed a lawsuit against Crete Carrier Corp, one of the largest based privately-owned trucking companies, claiming that their sleep apnea requirement was unlawful.

The supreme court ruled in Crete’s favor, saying they did not act improperly when they required all drivers with a BMI of 35 or higher to be screened for sleep apnea and to undergo treatment. When Robert refused to be screened he was not given more work. 

A Little About Sleep Apnea

Aeroflow believes that treating sleep apnea is an important safety measure that will save lives and money. Truckers who undergo treatment often have an improved quality of life. Plus, for every $1 spent on sleep apnea testing $3.49 is saved on collision damage costs. One simple test could improve trucker health, safety, and save the U.S. economy about $150 billion. 

Sleep Apnea Testing For Truckers
 Sleep apnea is actually a disorder that causes a person’s breathing to become shallow or to stop completely while they sleep. As a result, their brain and body don’t get enough oxygen. If left untreated conditions like diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and more could occur.

You don’t have to be overweight to have sleep apnea. You could have an obstruction in your airways, your neck could be too thin for proper air passage, your tonsils could be large enough to block air flow, and more.

Usually, you don’t know if you have sleep apnea unless you record yourself sleeping or your significant other notices that you snore loudly, gasp, or choke in your sleep. That’s why screening for it is so important. Other symptoms include depression, headaches when you wake up, insomnia, and more.

The test is easy, you go to sleep while being hooked up to equipment that monitors your heart, lung, and brain activity. You can also refer to a sleep apnea questionnaire to assess your risk. Aeroflow will actually review your completed questionnaire and assess your sleep apnea risk. Complete the questionnaire here.

If you have sleep apnea then may be prescribed a CPAP machine or oral breathing device to help you get the oxygen you need. In some cases, you may be asked to lose weight, require surgery, or be put on certain medications. 

Get The Rest You Need

If you get tired be sure to stop to get the rest that you need. Don’t go past your limits. If you regularly wake up feeling fatigued, confused, or with headaches then you may want to consider getting screened for sleep apnea. Also, please share your thoughts about carriers requiring sleep apnea screenings in the comment section below.

For more trucking blogs visit ExpressTruckTax.com.