Advoiding "The Right Turn Squeeze"

Right turns are a frequent problem for buses. Accidents can occur when other vehicles squeeze into the area along the right side of your vehicle. The other vehicle may beat tempting to pass on the right or make a right turn. While the other vehicle may be at fault, defensive drivers must anticipate the errors of other drivers.

 Recognize that automobile drivers are constantly looking for ways to get around your buses. Assume they will make mistakes.

What is right turn squeeze?

Collisions with a vehicle attempting to pass on your right side while you are attempting a right turn maneuver.Why is this a problem to be concerned about According to many insurance carriers, in 
over 90% of right turn squeeze situations either the bus driver is cited for unsafe turning or without 
a citation issued the bus company still must pay for the damage to the other vehicle.

What causes the problem?

Setting up wide or swinging too wide when making a right turn?

Failure to signal turn?

Other motorists not recognizing turn signals or setup for right turns of trucks?
Other motorists in too big of a hurry to pass the truck?  How can it be prevented?

Anticipate the turn. Set up for the turn, blocking the right side of your vehicle,so that cars cannot enter that area.

Check behind you. Monitor your mirrors as you approach your turn, so that you know what traffic is behind you.

Get in the proper lane as quickly and safely as you can before you turn. At least 10 feet before the turn. It is important to establish your position.

Use your turn signal and slow down. Communicate your intent to turn.

Keep the rear of the vehicle close enough to the right curb to keep vehicles out. Don’t allow the option to cut inside you, block the curb with your rear tires.

Stay within four feet of the curb, but avoid scraping or climbing the curb. Check your right mirror prior to and during your turn to make sure there are no small vehicles in the way. Wide shoulders and parking lanes may provide an opportunity for automobiles to sneak in. Beware of Sharp right turns around poles or into narrow drives that may cause you to swing wider than normal and give up your lane.

Make your turn slowly. Travel at a speed that allows you to monitor your mirrors and stop, if necessary.

Make your turn without crossing the center line of the street you are leaving and, if possible, not into the opposing traffic lanes of the road you are entering.

Where are some specific areas that may open up the possibility of accidents with right
hand squeeze?

Wide streets or streets with wide shoulders where cars try to cheat to get around us ?

Sharp right turns (possibly around poles when we have to cheat to the left prior to making the hard right turn) ?

Bike paths ?

Question for discussion -

1) Are there particular locations in our service area that present right turn squeeze hazards?

2) Where will our next accident occur?

Right turn squeeze or otherwise?

3) How can it be prevented?

1940s - A Greyhound bus tour Video

Attention to Skill Driver Retention

             

Retaining capable bus and coach drivers has always been a major challenge for motorcoach operators. In today’s travel market, however, retaining safe and qualified drivers is no longer enough. The most competent drivers also serve efficiently and effectively as safety experts, schedulers, technicians, ticket-takers, baggage handlers and customer service representatives. Motorcoach drivers have always been responsible for balancing their duties as a one-person crew, fulfilling by themselves the many tasks for which airline flight crews have separate staff. But the travel mode shift away from planes, trains and automobiles toward coaches has added to the driver’s lengthy list of duties the role of company ambassador. Passengers may never see a coach company CEO. In many instances, the only personal, face-to-face contact passengers will have with a bus company will be with the driver. In that sense, your driver is the public face of your company. That means many of the frustrated travelers abandoning other travel modes because of hassles, price, delays, cancellations and baggage fees may be trying the motorcoach option with your company for the first time. So getting safe, conscientious, and customer-centric drivers is more important than ever. Even the most upscale amenities on a motorcoach could potentially be remembered less vividly, and make less of a lasting impression, than its driver’s demeanor. Business management experts refer to this phenomenon as “primacy and recency.” Customers will always remember their primary personal experience with any business, as well as their most recent experience with it, to form their lasting impression of that business. In the motorcoach, tourism and group travel industry, any customer’s primary contact is almost universally with the driver. And their most recent contact – the last interaction with a company employee once they reach their destinations – is with that driver.

            Published by Wyatt Olsen

"Future Roads" Trailer Animation from Teun van der Zalm on Vimeo.

Wyatt Olsen's Dusty Archives Vol. I

 

Wyatt Olsen's Dusty Archives

The World's Best Paying Driving Jobs

Some jobs pay more because few can do them, some because few are willing to do them and some due to a combination of both. We decided to put together a list of the top 5 best paid driving jobs around the world, from Ice Road truckers in Alaska to convoy truck drivers in Iraq.

1. Ice Road Truckers: truck drivers willing and able to take on the job of the Ice Road Trucker will have to face a 414 mile route, 75% of which is north of the Arctic Circle. They will battle extremely hazardous conditions, frequent storms, occasional ‘white outs’ and temperatures reaching -40 degrees Celsius. If the seemingly impossible challenge of the job doesn’t tempt you in itself, then maybe the salary of $120,000+ for a 3 month season will!

2. Dump truck driver in the mining industry: “Mining jobs and the mining industry is the highest paid industry in Australia ... within the many mining jobs available in the industry, one of the most sought after is that of Truck Driver on a mine site.” [source: jobs.com.au] Driving one of the enormous dump trucks used in the Australian mines (up to 340 tonnes) is probably one of the few jobs in this industry that requires little or no physical labor and is therefore equally sought after by both men and women. Annual salary for this job is in the region of $100,000.

3. Truck driver in Iraq: Driving a truck in Iraq is a job that pays particularly well, from $125,000 up to a possible $250,000 per year. The obscenely high pay rates are for obvious reasons, the risks range from terrorist attacks to kidnapping. “Criss-crossing Iraq, the hundreds of civilian truck drivers who form a "shadow army", hauling food and supplies to military bases, are a tempting target for attacks.” [source: cbsnews.com]

4. NASCAR Driver: We just had to throw this one in, although definitely more on the ‘few can do’ rather than ‘few willing to do’ end of the scale! The top NASCAR drivers in the US earn in the tens of millions, between winnings, sponsorship and endorsements. In 2009 NASCAR’s highest-paid driver was Dale Earnhardt Jr. who reportedly earned $30 million. Get your application in now!

5. Test driver: Test driving cars is a full-time job for a lucky few but test driving a luxury car like the Bugatti is down to one lucky, and very talented man - Pierre-Henri Raphanel. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is the fastest production car in the world today. Raphanel is responsible for test driving Bugatti car models, pushing them to their very limits to see what they can do. We did try to find out what Raphanel earned but didn’t come up with anything conclusive so this particular inclusion is based on the (fairly safe) assumption that Raphanel is well compensated for his days of toiling behind the wheel of the fastest road car on earth!

Make over $100,000.00 in 3 Months

 

  Work all year and still can't pay the bills...?

 

Ice Road Truckers: truck drivers willing and able to take on the job of the Ice Road Trucker will have to face a 414 mile route, 75% of which is north of the Arctic Circle. They will battle extremely hazardous conditions, frequent storms, occasional ‘white outs’ and temperatures reaching -40 degrees Celsius. If the seemingly impossible challenge of the job doesn’t tempt you in itself, then maybe the salary of $120,000+ for a 3 month season will! 

 

Ice Road Trucker's Video's - Links