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Your Truck is NO Match for a Train! Idealease Safety Bulletin 9/11/2021

Sep. 11 2021 Miscellaneous By McCandless Idealease

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Read the latest Idealease Safety Bulletin "Your Truck is no match for a train" online, or read, share or download a full PDF version.  Remember to sign up to have them delivered straight to your inbox each week for instant access to the latest safety news, tips and information!  

Looking for past safety bulletins? Check out the complete archive at: https://www.idealease.com/safety-compliance/safety-bulletins

In this issue:

  • Safety Tips for Truck Drivers
  • New Operation Lifesaver Video Warns Filming on Train Tracks in Illegal, Deadly!
  • Turn Around Don’t Drown!
  • Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over!
  • Driver Appreciation Week: Sept 12-18th
  • 2021 Idealease Fall Safety Seminars Cancelled

YOUR TRUCK IS NO MATCH FOR A TRAIN!

Driver's Guide and Safety Quiz for Professional Drivers 

Important Safety Tips/Reminders for Truck Drivers (provided by Operation Lifesaver)

  • At 55mph a train could take a mile or more to stop
  • Be at least 15 feet from the crossing! If you are in traffic, do not proceed unless you can safely clear the crossing
  • Note the overhang of 3+ feet (both for your truck and the train)
  • Ensure trailer jacks are in the up position. Non-retracted trailer jacks can cause trailers to become stuck on crossings
  • Prevent cell phone distraction 
  • Never race a train to the crossing, even if you tie, you lose
  • The train you see is closer and moving faster than you think. Always wait for an approaching train before you proceed
  • Remember, trains CANNOT stop quickly.  It can take a mile or more to stop once the emergency brakes are applied! 
  • Never drive around lowered gates - it's illegal and deadly. If you suspect a signal is malfunctioning, call the 1-800 number posted on or near the crossing signal or your local law enforcement agency
  • Do not get trapped on the tracks; proceed through a highway-rail grade crossing only if you are certain you can fully clear the crossing without stopping.  Remember, the train is 3 feet wider than the tracks on both sides! 
  • At a multiple track crossing waiting for a train to pass, watch out for a second train on the other tracks, approaching from either direction
  • When you need to cross train tracks, go to a designated crossing, look both ways, and cross the tracks quickly, without stopping.  Remember, it isn't safe to stop closer than 15 feet from a rail. 
  • Freight trains do not follow set schedules so ALWAYS expect a train! 
  • If you get stuck at the crossing, get out, call the 800-number posted, or call the local police to alert trains of your position

Rail Safety Week is September 20-26, 2021 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Together, we can stop track tragedies.

New Operation Lifesaver Video Warns Filming on Train Tracks is Illegal & Deadly!

 With the ever-growing amount of social media, it is not surprising there have been several deadly incidents involving people making videos near railroad tracks. The national nonprofit rail safety education group Operation Lifesaver, Inc.


OLI


Operation Lifesaver, Inc. is a national, non-profit safety education group whose goal is to eliminate deaths and injuries at railroad crossings and along railroad rights of way. Operation Lifesaver has programs in all 50 states, with trained and certified presenters who provide free safety talks to community groups, school bus drivers, truck drivers and student drivers to raise awareness around railroad tracks and trains. For more information, and to request a free safety presentation, visit www.oli.org.





TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN!

It's hurricane season and that means areas of the country can be hit with storms that can produce 30+ inches of rain.  This is the perfect time to discuss flooding and changing road conditions with your drivers. 

Why?

Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard, with over half occurring with victims inside their vehicles.  A main reason for this is because people underestimate the force and power of water.  You ca still be swept away by the strong water current even when operating a large commercial vehicle.  

If you come to a flooded road, regardless of whether you are walking or driving, the rule of thumb is to TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN. You simply do not know the depth of the water nor the condition of the road underneath the water. 

Remember:

  • If flooding occurs, get to higher ground. Keep out of areas subject to flooding, including dips, canyons, low spots, washes, etc
  • Avoid areas that have already flooded, especially if the water is flowing fast.  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOWING STREAMS!
  • Never drive through flooded roadways. There is a chance that roadbeds may be washed out under flood waters
  • If your vehicle is suddenly caught in rising water, leave it immediately and seek higher ground
  • Don't park along streams and washes, especially during unpredictable weather
  • Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers
  • Avoid low water crossings
  • Use alternate routes when necessary to avoid flood prone areas
  • Leave your vehicle immediately if it stalls in flood waters
  • Move to higher ground if you can do so safely
  • Most cars and light trucks will begin to float in as little as one 1-2 feet of water

To check on weather conditions and flooding, go the National Weather Service website: https://www.weather.gov/

Events and news recap from previous bulletins:

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over!
The 2021 national enforcement mobilization “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” goes into effect across the country from Aug. 18 to Sept. 6, 2021. One of the deadliest and most often committed – yet preventable – of crimes (impaired driving), has become a serious safety epidemic in our country.
To keep people safe on the streets, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to make sure this busy travel period is a safe one, which is why we’re partnering with law enforcement nationwide for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign from August 21 through September 7, 2020, to help put a stop to alcohol-impaired driving.

Driver Appreciation Week is Sept 12-18th
This year's National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is September 12-18th, 2021 and Americans in all fifty states have taken extraordinary steps to show their appreciation for the important work that professional truck drivers have done as we navigate our way through the coronavirus pandemic. From children passing out lunches, to "I Heart Truck" signs across America's highways, the public has taken notice of the essential role truck drivers play in their lives. This week is a way to show appreciation to the 3.6 million professional men and women who not only deliver our goods safely, securely, and on time, but also keep our highways safe.

2021 Idealease Fall Safety Seminars are Cancelled
Due to the continuing evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic the decision was made to not hold any in person Idealease safety seminars in the fall of 2021. Stay tuned for more information on the Idealease Safety Webinar Series in their place later this fall. The webinars will be one hour in length and will address six separate topics regarding compliance and safety.  The webinar schedule will be announced soon in a future Idealease safety bulletin.


*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.