Speed and Space Management

 

The Speed and Space Management video shows you the importance of maintain a safe operating speed and safe space cushions on all side of your truck and trailer.  There are helpful tips on how to maintain those safe buffer zones and what to so in case weather and road conditions deteriorate.

Before you understand how to manage truck speed and the space around your truck, you first need to recognize why it’s important to do so.

· Speed can be costly

· Drivers experience pressure to save time, but pushing speed can actually cause drivers to lose time.

· A driver may be ticketed because he or she did not have enough time to slow down or stop or because he or she was simply going too fast for conditions.

· Speeding can result in serious delays, but it can also result in never finishing your run.

· Operating costs increase, too.  Driving 70mph instead of 50 mph can increase operating costs by as much as 70 to 80%

· The more you speed, the less time you have to react to what’s going on around you.

· Speeding puts your personal safety, your job and your life in jeopardy.

· Don’t be tailgater!!!!!

Perception distance… is the distance you travel from the time a hazard appears in front of you until your brain registers it. (For most of us, that takes about ¾ of a second which is 60 feet at 55 mph)

Reaction distance….is the time it takes for you to apply the brakes.  For most of us this is another 60 feet.

Braking distance….is the time it takes to come to a stop.  In a 50-60 foot truck at 55 mph this could take another 4/8 seconds.  The total stopping time is more than 6 seconds and stopping distance at 55 mph is more than 500 feet.