Oregon Trucking Associations: Is This Accident Preventable?

Safety & Compliance > Is This Accident Preventable?

The heart of a safe driving program is the careful determination of the preventability of each accident in which a driver is involved. This must be done in the light of all the facts pertinent to the accident's occurrence. Unearthing of these facts is sometimes difficult in practice, but it can be made easier by training drivers to report the accidents in which they are involved completely and accurately. Complete investigation by management is equally necessary.

The first step in reviewing the accident is to determine if the driver involved adhered to the Defensive Driving Code. That is, did he/she "Drive in such a way that he committed no errors himself, and so control his vehicle as to make due allowance for conditions of road, weather and traffic, and to assure that mistakes of other drivers did not involve him in an accident?"

Despite the fact each accident must be judged individually, experience in fleet safety over the years has shown that certain types are generally non-preventable on the part of the professional truck driver. Certain others, in absence of extenuating circumstances, could have been prevented by defensive driving. The types of accidents listed below cannot cover every accident which may occur but they are intended to provide guidance in determining the eligibility of drivers for safe driving awards.

NON-PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS

A. Struck in Rear by Other Vehicle

Non-Preventable if:

Driver's vehicle was legally and properly parked;

Driver was proceeding in her own lane of traffic at a safe and lawful speed;

Driver was stopped in traffic due to existing conditions or was stopped in compliance with traffic sign or signal or the directions of a police officer or other person legitimately controlling traffic;

Driver was in proper lane waiting to make turn.

B. Struck While Parked

Non-Preventable if:

Driver was properly parked in a location where parking was permitted;

Vehicle was protected by emergency warning devices as required by DOT and state regulations or if driver was in process of setting out or retrieving signals. These provisions shall apply to the use of turn signals as emergency warning lights under DOT regulations.

PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS

A. Accidents at Intersections

Preventable if:

Driver failed to control speed so that he could stop within available sight distance;

Driver failed to check cross-traffic and wait for it to clear before entering intersection;

Driver pulled out from side street in the face of oncoming traffic;

Driver collided with person, vehicle or object while making right or left turn;

Driver collided with vehicle making turn in front of him.

B. Striking Other Vehicle in Rear

Preventable if:

Driver failed to maintain safe following distance and have her vehicle under control;

Driver failed to keep track of traffic conditions and note slowdown;

Driver failed to ascertain whether vehicle ahead was moving slowly, stopped or slowing down for any reason;

Driver misjudged rate of overtaking;

Driver came too close before pulling out to pass;

Driver failed to wait for car ahead to move into the clear before starting up;

Driver failed to leave sufficient room for passing vehicle to get safely back in line.

C. Sideswipe and Head-On Collisions

Preventable if:

Driver was not entirely in his proper lane of travel;

Driver did not pull to his right and slow down and stop for vehicle encroaching on his lane of travel when such action could have been taken without additional danger.

D. Struck in Rear by Other Vehicle

Preventable if:

Driver was passing slower traffic near an intersection and had to make sudden stop;

Driver made sudden stop to park, load or unload;

Vehicle was improperly parked;

Driver rolled back into vehicle behind while starting on grade.

E. Squeeze Plays and Shutouts

Preventable if:

Driver failed to yield right-of-way when necessary to avoid an accident.

F. Backing Accidents

Preventable if:

Driver backed up when backing could have been avoided by better planning of her route;

Driver backed into traffic stream when such backing could have been avoided;

Driver failed to get out of cab and check proposed path of backward travel;

Driver depended solely on mirrors when it was practicable to look back;

Driver failed to get out of cab periodically and recheck conditions when backing a long distance;

Driver failed to sound horn while backing;

Driver failed to check behind vehicle parked at curb before attempting to leave parking space;

Driver relied solely on a guide to help him back;

Driver backed from blind side when he could have made a sight-side approach.

G. Accidents Involving Rail-Operated Vehicles

Preventable if:

Driver attempted to cross tracks directly ahead of train or streetcar;

Driver ran into side of train or streetcar;

Driver stopped or parked on or too close to tracks.

H. Accidents While Passing

Preventable if:

Driver passed where view of road ahead was obstructed by hill, curve, vegetation, traffic, ad verse weather conditions, etc.;

Driver attempted to pass in the face of closely approaching traffic;

Driver failed to warn driver of vehicle being passed;

Driver failed to signal change of lanes;

Driver pulled out in front of other traffic overtaking from rear;

Driver cut-in short returning to right lane.

I. Accidents While Being Passed

Preventable if:

Driver failed to stay in his own lane and hold speed or reduce it to permit safe passing.

J. Accidents While Entering Traffic Stream

Preventable if:

Driver failed to signal when pulling out from curb;

Driver failed to check traffic before pulling out from curb;

Driver failed to look back to check traffic if he was in position where mirrors did not show traffic conditions;

Driver attempted to pull out in a manner which forced other vehicle(s) to change speed or direction;

Driver failed to make full stop before entering from side street, alley or driveway;

Driver failed to make full stop before crossing sidewalk;

Driver failed to yield right-of-way to approaching traffic.

K. Pedestrian Accidents

Preventable if:

Driver did not reduce speed in area of heavy pedestrian traffic;

Driver was not prepared to stop;

Driver failed to yield right-of-way to pedestrian.

L. Mechanical Defects Accidents

Preventable if:

Defect was of a type which driver should have detected in making pre-trip or en route inspection of vehicle;

Defect was of a type which driver should have detected during the normal operation of the vehicle;

Defect was caused by driver's abusive handling of the vehicle.

M. All Types of Accidents

Preventable if:

Driver was not operating at a speed consistent with the existing conditions or road, weather and traffic;

Driver failed to control speed so that he could stop within assured clear distance;

Driver misjudged available clearance;

Driver failed to yield right-of-way to avoid accident;

Driver failed to accurately observe existing conditions;

Driver was in violation of company operating rules or special instruction, the regulations of any federal or state regulatory agency, or any applicable traffic laws or ordinances.

Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc.
4005 SE Naef Rd. | Portland, OR 97267
503.513.0005 | 503.513.0008 (fax) | 888-293-0005 | ortruck@ortrucking.org

© 2004 Oregon Trucking Associations Inc.