May 15, 2006 eReport

As we prepare this issue of the e-Report, we're enjoying a relaxing Mother's Day weekend at the KOA Campground in Joplin, MO, just across from the Petro. We just finished up with the Petro Truck Show in OKC and we're getting ready for the Joplin show on Tuesday, May 16th.

We'll be at the Joplin Trucker's Jamboree at the Joplin Petro through Thursday and then it's on to the Petro in Effingham, IL for the truck show there on May 23 - 25. If you miss us in Joplin, plan to catch up with us in Effingham, we'd love to visit with you. After all, that's we're here for.

Here's an interesting (you can be the judge of that) article that recently caught our attention on MSNBC.COM. Since there is always a lot of talk about 'driver fatigue' and since we just completed the TruckDriver.com Cell Phone Survey, we thought we would pass it along.

Study: Driver drowsiness big safety problem

Drowsiness behind the wheel is a more significant safety problem on U.S. roads than previously thought, although cell phone use is the most common distraction for drivers, new research showed on Thursday.

Driver distraction was the cause of most auto crashes and near crashes in a yearlong study of 241 drivers in the Washington, D.C., area conducted for federal safety regulators by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

The most surprising finding, researchers said, was the accident rate among drowsy drivers. They were at least four times more likely to crash or narrowly escape an accident than rested motorists, the data showed.

Drowsiness contributed to 20 percent of all crashes and 16 percent of near crashes. Previous estimates blamed fatigue far less often.

“Drowsy driving may be significantly under reported in police crash investigations,” researchers said.

NHTSA partially funded the study that found driver inattention was a factor in 80 percent of all crashes and 65 percent of all near crashes.

In the study drivers, mostly male and aged 18 to 73, logged more than 2 million miles. They reported 82 crashes, 761 near crashes and nearly 8,300 critical incidents that required evasive action.

Cell phones and other hand-held communication devices were linked to the highest frequency of near crashes and incidents, according to researchers.

Dialing phone numbers was considered particularly dangerous. But the researchers found that cell phone use was so prevalent during more than 42,000 hours of driving that the overall risk of getting into an accident while using one was low.

Researchers used video cameras, automobile sensors, lane and speed tracking devices, and global positioning technology to track driver behavior and vehicle movements.

Drivers 18- to 20-years-old were four times more likely to be inattentive while driving that drivers 35 and older. These youngest drivers were also more apt to speed and drive aggressively.

Eating, applying makeup, reading, and reaching for objects, like the radio or CD player, were other distractions the researchers noted.

TruckDriver.com
Carrier of the Month

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For more information click here or call 800-257-9595 and ask for the Director of Operations.

We've still got FREE TICKETS for the Las Vegas Truck Show on June 15-16-17. Just click here and we'll get a couple out in the mail to you right way.

In case you haven't noticed, there is a new feature available on TruckDriver.com, The DOT Directory. Just click on the DOT Directory link and you can access valuable information about trucking companies all over the United States and Canada. You can search by state or province or by carrier name or DOT number.

The directory lists addresses, phone numbers, type of operation, fleet size, annual mileage, DOT Safety Rating along with the date of last DOT review and the total number of drivers.

The DOT Directory is an important addition to TruckDriver.com as it allows you the opportunity to view and review the official information about a carrier. Sometimes, it really is what you know and not who you know, if you know what we mean.

Until next time, keep on truckin' and please drive safely.

We do like to hear from you and as usual invite you to let us know how we can improve the e-Report. Please send your ideas and suggestions to: jobs@truckdriver.com