Safety Tip: Do Not!!!

[TowForce]

Normally this would be in the Found on TikTok Series. However since this is an educational opportunity it's being redirected to the Safety Discussion forum.

 

Things not to do... Do Not Take your eyes off the traffic and Do Not Get Close to the White Line

 

1) The driver takes his eyes off the traffic far too long and if speaking with someone inside the vehicle should be doing that on the side away from traffic.

 

2) When the driver steps towards the rear of the vehicle he walks towards the white Line and Traffic. This could have been video evidence, but that doesn't ease the pain.

 

Note: This is not being shared to shame this driver. Four out of Five Tow Truck Drivers are going to approach the scene in the same exact or similar manner. This Safety Tip is to remind each and every driver of the hazards those in our industry face. A constant reminder will create Fear which turns into Awareness.

 

Continue to Preach Safety Awareness on a daily basis. I know for a fact you're changing the numbers and while we cannot reach the entire industry. Together we can reach a higher percentage than ever before...

 

 

[Stuart Wagner]

I would love to stay off the white line but the interstates around me like I-78 and I-81 the shoulders are so narrow when hooking up a tractor trailer we are always on the white line. It sucks. As far as not taking your eye off traffic, our traffic is that heavy you would take hours to hook up a truck if you watched traffic.

[TowZone]

What was meant was to keep your eye on traffic and not to turn your back on traffic. It means look towards traffic when possible and not away. Keep your head on swivel.

 

As far as the White Line is not always possible to stay off the White Line. But, it is possible to make an attempt to avoid the traffic side as much as possible. This interaction most certainly could have incorporated those precautions.

[GRUMPS The Towman]

In a perfect world, we could alll stay well inside the white line and perform all our functions on the curb-side of our rigs/casualties while never taking our eyes off the on coming traffic.

We certainly dont live in a perfect world, so we are sometimes vexed with putting ourselves in harms way. It is the manner in which it is done that can make the difference in going home or dying in a busted up heap on the side of the road. 

The Operator in this video had ZERO situational awareness and was very lucky he wasnt hit. Given his predicament, it would have been a very, very avoidable accident if he was in fact hit. 

Not to bash on the operator in the video, But this man is in desperate need of proper training of on-highway procedures and must be more mindful of his surroundings.