Page 76 - Driving Commercial Vehicles Manual

driving commercial vehicles

Many people think they can protect themselves in a collision. You can’t hold
yourself back during a collision, no matter how strong you are.
Thousands of
kilograms of force
work against unbelted
persons during the
rapid deceleration that
takes place during a
crash.
Adjust your seatbelt
correctly by:

• placing the lap belt
low over the pelvis,
not over the soft
stomach area —
make sure it’s snug

• ensuring the
shoulder strap is
snug across the
chest
• never placing the
shoulder strap under
Wear your seatbelt correctly the arm or behind
to provide maximum the back
protection.
• removing all slack.

Airbags and head restraints
Most large trucks aren’t equipped with airbags and head restraints.

Even if your vehicle’s equipped with airbags, you must wear your seatbelt.
Airbags can seriously injure unbelted occupants. You must allow at least
25 cm (10 in) between your breastbone and the airbag unit in the steering
wheel. This distance will minimize the risk of injury if the bag deploys.
If your vehicle has head restraints, it’s important to adjust them to fit correctly.
This will reduce the risk of neck and back injuries during a rear-end crash. By
simply making sure the top of the head restraint is at least as high as the top
of your head, and the head restraint is less than 10 cm from the back of your
head, you can help prevent neck injuries.

Cellphones and other devices
crash fact
Research shows that using a cellphone or other electronic communication
Cellphone use while driving device while driving significantly increases the risk of crashing.
is the number one cause
of distracted driving. On All drivers in B.C. are prohibited from using hand-held electronic devices while
average, 81 people die each driving. Drivers are prohibited from operating or holding hand-held cellphones
year in B.C. as a result of or other electronic devices, sending or reading e-mails and/or text, operating
distracted and inattentive or holding hand-held music or portable gaming devices, and manually
driving. programming or adjusting GPS systems while driving. Drivers in B.C.’s Graduated
(TAS 2010–14) Licensing Program (GLP) are also restricted from operating hands-free devices.
These restrictions do not apply for calling 9-1-1 to report an emergency.

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