Alas, it was painfully evident that winter had arrived as John Doe’s tractor-trailer prepared to crest a hill at 45 mph on a desolate, pitch-black stretch of divided highway. Suddenly, Doe’s steer tires lost traction, causing his rig to slide laterally across the road surface and into the steel lane divider, reconfiguring his left-front fender big time.
Was this accident preventable?
Since he contested the preventable-accident warning letter from his safety director, the National Safety Council’s Accident Review Committee was asked to pass final judgment.To Doe’s dismay, NSC ruled against him, noting that 45 mph was too fast for the blizzard-like conditions at night, especially considering he had been on the verge of a blindly cresting and steep hill.
CCJ's Preventable or Not series is sponsored by CarriersEdge, creator of interactive online training for small and midsize fleets, including comprehensive safety, compliance and best practices content for truck drivers. To learn more, visit https://www.carriersedge.com/
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