LOG TRUCK HITS FOUR STOPPED VEHICLES

Oct. 2002
02-S-17

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BACKGROUND: A log truck driver was driving his loaded truck one winter day in the South. Weather was not a factor in the accident.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: The truck driver was experienced and in good health.

UNSAFE ACT OR CONDITION: The log truck was operating with numerous out-of-service safety violations including two worn tires and three defective brakes.

ACCIDENT: Inspection work had one lane of a bridge blocked, stopping northbound traffic on a two-lane highway. Coming around a bend in the road in the northbound lane and realizing he would be unable to stop in time to avoid the stopped cars, the log truck driver first swerved to the right shoulder and the marshland beyond, then spun back to the left, approaching oncoming traffic. The driver's efforts failed as the log truck hit four vehicles in succession -- a car, a dump truck, a pick-up truck, and another pick-up -- before coming to a stop.

INJURY: The driver of one of the stopped vehicles was taken to the hospital and later released. All other drivers, including the truck driver, were able to walk away from the scene.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTION: In view of the three defective brakes and worn tires, it is unclear whether any immediate action by the truck driver could have avoided the collision. Certainly, the unsafe condition of the vehicle reduced his ability to react. The driver was not cited for exceeding the speed limit or for exceeding a safe speed for conditions.

Given the situation, the best of several risky evasive action choices the driver could have taken would have been to decelerate and drive off the road to the right. Among other lessons, this accident points to the importance of anticipating dangerous traffic conditions and quickly and decisively reacting with the appropriate maneuver. Always expect the unexpected, especially when entering curves on rural highways.

Responsible truckers do not place unsafe trucks in service on the roads. All truck and trailer features necessary for safe operation -- tires, brakes, fluids, hoses, connections, linkages, lights, horns, kingpin, fifth wheels, etc. -- should be thoroughly inspected at least once a day. Safe drivers conduct quick walk-around inspections prior to each trip they make. Necessary service or repairs must be completed prior to putting the truck in service.

FRA STAFF COMMENT: To aid log truck drivers in conducting their daily and pre-trip safety inspections, FRA has published two easy-to-use safety inspection brochures: 97-A-9, Pre-Trip Checklist, and 97-A-10, Quick-Check Off the Deck. Both are available from the FRA National Office in Rockville at the price of $1 each for FRA members and $2 for non-members.

FRA has also published a trucking safety manual: 99-A-3, Professional Forest Products Trucking, also available from the FRA National Office at the price of $15 for members and $30 for non-members. Finally, FRA produced with the North Carolina Forestry Association (NCFA) an instructive video entitled "Professional Trucking of Forest Products," available from NCFA. For ordering information, phone 919/834-3943.

Order information for all of these products is posted at the www.loggingsafety.com "transportation" section at www.loggingsafety.com/lsr-trans.htm.

Forest Resources Association Inc.
600 Jefferson Plaza, Suite 350, Rockville, Maryland 20852
Phone: (301) 838-9385     Fax: (301) 838-9481