Truck Topics
Night Moves
Traffic accidents are among the leading causes of death in America, and have become increasingly problematic in other countries as well.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that more than half of the fatalities involved with traffic accidents each year occur at night. Driving at night is more of a challenge than many people think. It's also more dangerous.
Despite the danger, there are some drivers who enjoy the challenge: Expediter Chet Merithew states, "I love driving at night because there's not much traffic, you're not being cut off by 4-wheelers, it's easier to get through the big cities, etc."
The other driver
While we can presume that the typical professional driver is not driving while intoxicated or impaired, the same can not be said for the general motoring public.
Alcohol is a leading factor in fatal traffic crashes, accounting for about half of all motor vehicle-related deaths. That makes weekend nights more dangerous because more fatal crashes take place on weekend nights than at any other time in the week.
Vision
Ninety percent of a driver's reaction depends on vision, and vision is severely limited at night. Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision are compromised after sundown.
One of the most important differences between day and night time driving conditions is the way in which we see our surroundings. We become completely dependent upon artificial sources of light to show us where we are. We are also much more sensitive to bright lights and other distractions on the road ahead.
A 50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year old. Any eyesight problems that you may have can become worse when driving in the dark. Whether you have perfect eyesight or not, night driving puts more strain on your eyes and is therefore more tiring.
Eye fatigue is a particularly difficult problem when driving at night. To relieve this problem or prevent it from happening, keep your eyes moving...from side to side, near to far ahead, and so forth.
Evening twilight, the hours between sunset and complete darkness, say the experts, is the most dangerous time for driving.
It's at this time that your headlights do not provide sufficient light, and your eyes have not adjusted to the falling darkness. Light drops quickly and visibility diminishes rapidly, much faster than your eyes can adjust.
Tractor-trailer expediter Ben Easters says, "If you've driven all night and into the next morning, the glare of the rising sun is always dangerous. That's also the time when you start getting sleepy, so you've got two issues to contend with."
Signs
Another problem some nighttime drivers encounter is that of unseen road signs or cautioning information. Some signs may be too hidden to reflect enough light to the driver, or they may just not be reflective enough. Maybe, as the driver passes, they do not have time to read the sign.
"I don't have any trouble seeing road signs, but trying to find and read street signs to get to my delivery is really annoying!" says Chet Merithew.
Expediter Greg Geronsis agrees:
"When I'm searching for streets and addresses, I pull out what my daughter refers to as an "ALD" or Address Location Device. It's a billion or so candlepower flashlight and I keep in on the seat next to me. It also works for shining deer."
There has been quite a bit of research done on drivers' safety, and some done on drivers' safety at night. This has led to some advances in traffic safety for nighttime drivers, and has created even more questions to be researched to further the knowledge of night vision in relation to driving abilities.
Expediter Linda Caffee is the "night shift" driver for her driving team and she says, "When you're driving at night with reduced visibility you have to scan the road even more. If you see a car broken down on the side of the road and its flashers are still pretty bright, you've got to watch for the driver walking down the highway."
"That's scary because you can't see them until you're right up on them. You've got to watch for animals too, and if you've got one in front of you, don't try to avoid them because you'll roll the truck."
Breakdowns
As if reduced vision, drunk drivers and fatigue weren't enough, the nighttime driver has another problem to face. When something on your truck goes haywire, getting road service or even stopping for repairs in a truckstop will take a lot longer at night.
Most repair shops go with a skeleton crew overnight, and even minor repairs, such as a tire or a drive belt, can mean hours of waiting.
Fatigue
As most expediters know, driving at night and quite often, driving all night, is just part of the job.
Drowsiness makes driving more difficult by dulling concentration and slowing reaction time. Loud music, open windows and singing aloud can help a little, but they only mask the need for sleep.
"If I start to get sleepy, it will usually hit me around 6:00 - 7:00 am. That's when I'll pull into a truck stop, use the rest room and walk around a little," says Linda Caffee.
"I've tried the energy drinks and they give you a nice lift for a little while, then they drop you like a rock! I've found that candy or things that are loaded with sugar have the same effect."
Linda says that night time drowsiness can even bring on hallucinations:
"There's something that really bothers me at night and I notice it most on I-81 in Virginia. It's when the big trucks have filled the rest area and the trucks are parked along the entrance and down the highway, all with their clearance lights on."
"When you're tired, seeing all those lights can mess with your mind. Sometimes it seems like the lights are moving and you want to hit the brakes."
If the first rule of night driving is stop when you’re sleepy, the second is watch where you stop. In most states it’s illegal to park on the shoulder unless there’s an emergency. If you’re hauling hazmat, FMCSRs and some state and local laws restrict parking.
"Between the hours of 3 am - 6 am is probably the most dangerous time to drive," says Chet Merithew. "That's when your body tells you it should be sleeping. If you've been driving overnight, take a break at 3:00 am and it will rejuvenate you better than anything else, even if you shut down for just half an hour."
Experienced drivers know the best solution: don’t fight sleepiness; just pull over and get some rest. For many people, a 15- to 30- minute power nap possesses restorative powers that permit the driver to finish his run.
Greg Geronsin: "I try to pace myself and set a goal to reach. The first four hundred miles are easy and when I get to that point, I'll see how much time I've gained. I'll often drive a little farther, then take a nap."
"On a long run, I'll stop every couple of hours, take a stretch, walk around a little and get a cup of coffee."
"On those all night runs, I like to shut it down maybe a half-hour before sunrise and get some sleep. That way, I fool my body into thinking it had a full night's rest."
Ben Easters says, "Something that helps me is fresh air; I like to roll the windows down and get some air moving through the cab. If I get too warm, I get sleepy."
"I also get out of the cab every couple of hours and walk around the truck. At night, it's not like you get hypnotized, but you get too relaxed and you're not as alert."
Tips from the veterans
*Prepare your truck for night driving. Clean headlights, taillights, signal and clearance lights and windows (inside and out) once a week, more often if necessary.
*Truck drivers are very aware of the importance of using headlights when visibility is even slightly reduced. They know it's essential to see and be seen.
You should have your lights on from sunset until sunrise during periods of rain, snow, hail, sleet or fog, and during other periods when you cannot see the road ahead of you clearly for a distance of at least 500 feet.
*Have your headlights properly aimed. Misaimed headlights blind other drivers and reduce your ability to see the road.
*You should never have your truck's headlights on high beam when you are within 1000 feet of an oncoming vehicle. You should also switch to low beam when you are following another vehicle at a distance of 200 feet or less.
*Don't overdrive your headlights. You should be able to stop inside the illuminated area. If you're not, you are creating a blind crash area in front of your vehicle.
*Avoid smoking when you drive. Smoke's nicotine and carbon monoxide hamper night vision.