Trailwood Traveling Times

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MANAGING A SAFE SPEED

Baldwin & Lyons, Inc.

                  The Quill

 The following are some suggestions to help you properly manage driving at a SAFE speed.

• Obey posted speed limits.  Your speed should never be faster than a rate consistent with existing speed laws, road traffic and weather conditions.  Never forget that posted speed limits apply only when conditions are favorable.

• Reduce speed when your vision is restricted.  At night and when fog or other conditions restrict visibility, speed should be reduced to a point which will enable you to stop within the distance you can see ahead.

• Reduce speed when traction is reduced.  Always reduce your speed when rain, snow, ice or other adverse road or weather conditions exist.

• Reduce speed when approaching any highway/rail grade crossing.  Watch for other vehicles in front of you (such as school buses, hazmat trucks, etc.) at may be required to stop at the grade crossing even when a train is not approaching.

• Reduce your speed for emergency vehicles.  Whenever you hear a siren, pull to the side of the road and stop to permit the emergency vehicle to pass safely.  If you encounter an emergency vehicle or patrol car with flashing lights stopped on the side of the roadway, slow down and move to the next lane away from the vehicle to allow plenty of space for emergency workers workers and/or law enforcement personnel.  This in now the law in many states.

• Reduce speed before entering highway work zones.  Increase you following distance also, and never exceed the posted speed limit, even when highway workers are not present.

• Reduce speed appropriately before entering a curve or ramp. Always negotiate curves at a reduced speed consistent with the sharpness of the curve, available sight distance and prevailing road and traffic conditions.  Enter the curve or ramp 10 miles per hour below the posted advisory speed.  Advisory speeds posted on most curve and ramp signs may not give you an accurate idea of how fast your truck can safely take the curve.  These advisory speed are appropriate for passenger cars and may be too high to permit a truck to negotiate the curve safely.  On some ramps and curves, a separate advisory speed for trucks may be posted, and this should be your guideline for determining a safe speed.  The condition and stability of your vehicle and your load need to be considered at all times.  Do NOT overestimate your stability.

• Reduce speed in heavy traffic or when traffic slows.  Remember that a truck requires a much longer distance to stop than a passenger car traveling at the same speed on the same road conditions.  Reaction times for truck drivers verses car drivers are the same.  However, the braking distance for trucks versus cars is considerably different.  Be cautious, slow down, and increase your following distance as necessitated by traffic conditions.  Following distance should never be less than six seconds.

• Adapt speed to changing situations on rural and other non-interstate roads.  Constantly adapt your speed to account for regularly changing situations and circumstances that increase the possibility for human errors that can lead to crashes.