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Preventing Drowsy Driving - Idealease Safety Bulletin October 29,2021

Oct. 29 2021 Miscellaneous By McCandless Idealease

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The latest and final Idealease Safety Bulletin for October 2021 "Preventing Drowsy Driving" is now available to read, share and download! 

Read the entire bulletin online here on idealease.com, click here to download the full PDF version, and don't forget to sign up to have the weekly bulletin delivered straight to your inbox so you can view at your convenience! 

Remember to view past bulletins on the archive. 

November 7th through 13th, 2021 is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week!


The National Sleep Foundation's educational campaign is designed to save lives by increasing awareness of the dangers of driving while sleepy.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving causes at least 100K police reported crashes and kills more than 1,550 Americans each year.  It is interesting to see that all states have drunk driving laws in place, but few have laws to cite a driver that has fallen asleep causing an accident.  Only New Jersey explicitly defines drowsy driving, known as "Maggie's Law", as recklessness under a vehicular homicide statute.  There are now at least eight states with 12 pending bills to address fatigued drivers. 

Find more information at: https://www.thensf.org/drowsy-driving-prevention/


WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STAY ALERT WHILE DRIVING

  • SLEEP/TAKE NAPS
    • Your best bet is to get enough sleep every day
    • Afternoon naps are a great alternative to catch up on missed/more sleep
    • If you feel drowsy while driving, a 15-minute nap can be very effective. Pull over in a safe place. 
  • CAFFEINE
    • Avoid during the last half of the day, as it can contribute to sleeping problems
    • For short-term alertness, but it usually takes 30 minutes to take effect and wears off after a few hours
  • REGULAR STOPS
    • Switch drivers if you can and remember to stop every 2 hours or 100 miles
  • AC MAX-RECIRCULATION
    • Do not operate the vehicle for extended periods of time with the AC on MAX or Recirculation because the CO2 level is increased in the vehicle and contributes to drowsy driving
  • AVOID ALCOHOL
    • Not only is it illegal, but it makes you sleepy and increases fatigue! Do NOT drink and drive!

If you are planning a long trip, here are some tips to avoid fatigue from AAA:

  • Get a good night's sleep the night before. Plan to drive during the time that you are normally awake and stay overnight rather than traveling straight through.
  • Avoid driving during the body's "downtime", which is generally in the mid-afternoon and between midnight and 6:00 a.m.
  • If you have passengers, talk to them. It will help to keep you alert, and they will also be able to tell if you are showing signs of getting sleepy.
  • Schedule a break every 2 hours or every 100 miles. Take a nap, stretch, take a walk and get some exercise before resuming your trip.
  • Stop sooner if you show any dangerous signs of sleepiness.

"TRICKS" THAT DO NOT WORK - are not effective for an extended period

  • Opening the window
  • Turning on AC
  • Playing loud music

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Daylight Savings Time Change is in ONE WEEK!

We 'fall back" at 2am on Sunday, November 7th.  Remember to ensure your drivers are aware as the amount of daylight will change according to route drivers stops.  A one-hour change in the position of the sun can present different challenges to drivers.  

2021 IDEALEASE FALL SAFETY WEBINARS - Register TODAY! 

November 3rd – 1pm CST
 
November 10th – 1pm CST
 
November 17th – 1pm CST
 
December 1st – 1pm CST
 
December 8th – 1pm CST


HALLOWEEN DRIVING "TRICKS" TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE

Here are some Halloween safety tips to help everyone bring home treats, not tragedies this year! 

  • Focus on your driving
  • Stay below the speed limit
  • Stay alert - watch for children darting across streets, especially between parked cars
  • Be extra careful pulling in and out of driveways
  • Take responsibility and never assume children can see you or are paying attention
  • Check all lights on vehicle to ensure they are fully operational
  • Do not pass other vehicles stopped in the road
  • Use your hazard lights to alert other motorists if you're pulled over and waiting on children
  • If in costume, put your mask on after you reach your destination 

Parents can help motorists, too:

  • Provide children with flashlights and glowsticks for extra visibility. Dress them in bright, reflective clothing, or use reflective tape on costumes
  • Use makeup versus masks for clear, unobstructed views
  • Remind children how to safely cross the street - look left, right and left again before crossing
  • Instruct children to stay on sidewalks and only cross at corners or crosswalks
  • Accompany children as they trick or treat


CVSA POSTS RESULTS OF BRAKE SAFETY WEEK 2021

Over 35,700 commercial vehicles were inspected in the US, Canada and Mexico between August 22-28, 2021. More than 80% of the inspections took place in the United States. 

Inspectors places 12% of CMVs out of service (OOS) for critical brake violations.  Of the 28,694 CMVs inspected in the US, 13.5% were placed OOS with brake violations.  15.4% for Canada and 2.6% for Mexico. 

The United State's brake violation rate increased slightly from 2020. 13% in 2020 to 13.5% in 2021. 

For 2021, inspectors focused primarily on brake hose chafing violations. Only 3% of CMVs inspected in the US were placed OOS for brake hose chafing violations for 2021, a slight increase from 2.5% in 2020. 


PMTC PROVIDES UPDATE ON CANADIAN ELD MANDATE

The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada has provided an update on the status of the mandate for Electronic Logging Devices for commercial motor vehicles in Canada.


eld

Although the requirement for ELDs was scheduled to go into effect on June 12, 0221, Transport Canada and the provincial governments agreed not to enforce the requirements until June 12, 2022.

Unlike the U.S. ELD rule, where manufacturers self-certify that their device meets the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s regulations, the Canadian mandate requires each device to be certified as compliant by a third-party agency.  Three third-party certification bodies have now been approved.  There have also been three changes to the technical standard for ELDs and testing procedures since October 2020; this has led to further delays in the certification process.

Only six devices are currently listed on the Transport Canada certified list. PMTC advises that if your device was installed prior to it being certified. It will likely need a software upgrade, or be replaced to be a compliant certified device. To comply with the Canadian ELD requirements carriers must use a device on the list of certified ELDs, and drivers and administrative staff must be trained to use them by the full enforcement date of June 12, 2022.

CMVs operated under a rental agreement of no more than 30 days are exempt from the ELD requirements.  Those drivers would need to keep a paper logbook. In addition, if a CMV is operated within a 160 km radius of the driver’s home terminal, the driver is not required to keep a logbook, and thus would also be exempt from having to use an ELD.



*The Idealease Safety Bulletin is provided for Idealease locations and their customers and is not to be construed as a complete or exhaustive source of compliance or safety information. The Idealease Safety Bulletin is advisory in nature and does not warrant, guarantee, or otherwise certify compliance with laws, regulations, requirements, or guidelines of any local, state, or Federal agency and/or governing body, or industry standards.