Drivers' Corner - Caring in Action

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Have you ever had to dodge pedestrians on the interstate?  A driver was entering Little Rock, AR from the north bound side of I-30.  It was near mid-night and he was looking forward to getting to his terminal just north of town so he could go home for the night.
 
Suddenly, an object registered in his mind as it darted from the side of the interstate.  At the same time he felt a slight jolt come from the trailer.  Not knowing what had happened, he shut down on the emergency lane to investigate.
 
With a flash light, he inspected the passenger side of the trailer and noticed a man's torn and bloody clothing on his landing gear.  His mind raced on about how that could have gotten there.  Surely, this could not be good.
 
Looking back, he noticed cars beginning to pull off the interstate at about the area he thought he saw the object.  Speculating the worst, he set his triangles and started walking back up the interstate.
 
A pedestrian leaving a bar near the interstate had tried to cross the interstate on foot.  The draft from the tractor coupled with his intoxication pulled him into the trailer and he was killed by the landing gear.
 
Although not the fault of the driver, there are actions we can take to avoid such a tragic incident:
 
1.       His concentration was not on the highway but instead on getting home.  Had he been engaged, he might have seen the pedestrian approaching.
 
2.       The pre-inspection of the unit includes checking headlights.  Lights that are out of position or that are dirty defeat the purpose of the light.
 
3.      Be aware that these types of accidents are not uncommon.
 
Bottom line - Everyone loses in an accident when someone dies.
 
That's the way I see it - Bob Hataway - Trans Alive.

Bob Hataway is president of TransAlive USA, an organization of 100,000 volunteers across America dedicated to serving drivers and their families in the transportation industry through their Caring in Action=Safety Program. They cover every zip code in the United States and move quickly to meet the needs of the drivers and their families when they experience an accident, illness, heart attack or even death on the highway. Call 800-USA-HURT for assistance.