Many motorists feel a little nervous when driving near a line of semi-trucks on the highway, but the danger is even more immediate when driving through mountains. Looking at the news, it seems like trucking accidents happen frequently in these areas. Discover what makes mountain driving dangerous for truckers and how they can drive more safely.
Not Enough Training
The real problem for many truckers is that they simply don’t do enough training with mountain driving when they get their CDL. If you get your license in a state without any mountains, there probably won’t be much information about mountain driving in your exam materials. You most certainly won’t have a chance to practice either.
In order to prevent accidents, drivers should take it upon themselves to research mountain driving techniques while states work to improve driver education.
Too Much Momentum
There are many tips for safe mountain driving, but not all drivers are aware of them. One safety mechanism you won’t see outside of mountainous areas is the truck escape ramp. This dead-end gravel road usually climbs up a hill adjacent to a steep decline. If a trucker begins to lose control of their vehicle, they can take the escape ramp and let gravity and friction slow their truck to a stop.
However, many inexperienced truck drivers don’t know what these ramps are for, much less when to use one. Without training and practice, safety mechanisms like escape ramps have limited effectiveness.
Conflicting Information
Another thing that makes mountain driving dangerous for truckers is the conflicting information out there about how to properly descend a hill. Some drivers prefer to let the technology of their trucks do the heavy lifting but are unaware of what to do should this technology fail.
Drivers need to remember that it’s always possible to go too slowly down a hill, but you may only go too fast once before tragedy strikes.
While the information above can make trucking sound a bit scary, for most drivers, trucking is a good job with many benefits, including the chance to travel. If you can, get your CDL in a state with solid mountain driving education to protect yourself and others.
