When the Safe 7 is unsafe

Long before Roehl came up with the Safe 7, or even existed as a trucking company there was a simpler system for driving known as The Smith System. From the time I was in drivers ed back in 1977 through my training to become a school bus driver and onto my beginnings in truck driving the 5 Keys were hammered into me. The Safe 7 is Roehl's answer to following the same system without having to pay the people at Smith for their program. The bottom line is that both are great systems for making you not only a safer, but more efficient driver. My issue is when someone sitting in an office tells you to do something that is inherently unsafe in the mistaken belief that it is safe.

One of the things that I learned in the Smith System is indeed to watch the driver's as well as the car's behavior for signs of what they are going to do. Watch merging traffic, if they are speeding up then get off the pedal and allow them to enter the roadway. If there is an entire line of merging traffic, allow those ahead of you the chance to enter, but those beside and behind are going to have to fall in behind you. Expect a fourwheeler to do the wrong thing at all times. Keep in mind that in general the lane you are in is yours and people who want into your lane need to adjust their speed to fit into any opening available. Do not cause a wreck yourself by stopping, or trying to make an unsafe lane change. All of this goes with "Aim high in steering.", or "Get the big picture." You should already know what is happening before the event. Keep in mind another key to driving is to leave yourself an out. That is part of another key, "Stay back."

Can I point out something for all you "hot rod, super truckers?" All the speeding, tailgating and rude driving won't give you enough extra miles to make up for the extra fuel used and you won't get even one more decent load during the week. You might arrive 10 minutes before me, but that is about all you will gain. Yes I am that 57 mph truck in the right lane that the cops don't even look at going down the road. I have a 75 mph truck if I need it to get out of trouble, but you can't outrun poor fuel economy. Yes it is aggravating to constantly get cut off driving through downtown Chicago, but not nearly as aggravating as getting in an accident would be.

 

Both of these messages came from Sarah and sometimes she goes a bit overboard. A few years ago I slipped on ice at a customer who had not cleared the snow and ice from their dock area. I managed to get the bleeding stopped and dutifully called in in case we needed to do a work comp claim by getting stitches. She made me sit for an hour and then call in. After all, I might have a concussion. I'm a truck driver and this wasn't the first bump on the head I've had, nor the last. Anyway, I had to call in after sitting an hour, or she was sending and ambulance.

My point in starting this thread is partly to poke fun and partly to remind drivers that driving safely is using your common sense and experience. Most of the people who sit in the office in any trucking company don't even hold a cdl so they only have theories on how to drive safely.

 

I don't remember the exact wording, but it was a jolt that we should consider stopping even though the light was green since it might change suddenly. I'm not going to argue about it, just like I'm not going to argue about yield to merging traffic even though you are in the through lane. I'm just pointing out that sometimes when they try to emphasis safety they advocate unsafe practices that can have the opposite effect.

For almost 40 years I have always been taught, taught, heard and read the same thing about approaching a green light. Let off the throttle and cover the brake as you approach the intersection. When you reach the point you can no longer stop, if the light is still green accelerate back to speed and proceed through the intersection even if the light goes from green to yellow as you enter the intersection.