Some of the most meticulous, careful drivers are rookies. They’re not as skilled and they’re not as comfortable on the road, but they’re focused on everything they need to do to safely drive the truck. Because of that hyper focus, they are much less likely to have a critical crash than a veteran driver. Sound hard to believe? The vast majority of critical crashes involve drivers with more than five years of experience. Why do you suppose that is? It’s because rookies are still learning, their jobs haven’t become familiar, and they haven’t become complacent.
Safety complacency is the tendency to overlook repetitive tasks necessary for safe operation of the vehicle. When you do a job for a while, you gain familiarity and you form normal patterns of behavior. Eventually, this behavior becomes second nature and you can repeat it almost without actively thinking about it. While routines can be very helpful, they can also cause safety hazards. When you become comfortable, you don’t tend to pay as much attention. You are more prone to distractions, such as reaching for a phone, flipping through the radio stations, watching the scenery, etc. When you let your guard down, you open yourself up to mistakes.
There are ways to prevent complacency by making small changes in your workday.
- Make slight changes to your routine, do your pre and post-trip inspection duties in a different order than usual or do MORE than necessary. Break at a truck stop you haven’t used before. Most drivers have favorite lanes they like to run and different parts of the country they prefer. Ask for a trip somewhere you haven’t been before. Take familiarity out of the equation; break your normal patterns. While it’s normal for drivers to want to be familiar with their routes, that can create complacency.
- Make pit stops. If you’re feeling distracted or tired, stop somewhere and walk, stretch, or get something to drink. Do anything that will break the monotony.
- Learn something new; do regular ongoing safety training. Safety is an integral part of company culture and is not to be compromised.
- Be open to new technology. Dash cams can now use AI to detect if a driver looks distracted or tired. These technologies may seem intrusive, but they can save lives.
- Be willing to accept new challenges. Not being challenged leads to complacency and decreased responsiveness to environmental stimuli.
Critical crashes have ended careers and bankrupted trucking companies. A few years ago an MK driver had a critical crash due to complacency. The fallout from something like that takes a long time to dissipate. Please pay attention, avoid complacency, and avoid becoming a statistic. We want everyone to arrive at their destinations and return home safely. Don’t drive with your brain on autopilot.