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Loss Lessons
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SEE MOTORCYCLES
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PestSure Members,
This is the time of the year that we will start to see more
motorcycles on the roadways. In one year alone, the PestSure
group had three very major collisions involving our trucks
and a motorcyclist. We were at fault in all three of these
accidents. Two of the accidents occurred when the technician/driver
turned left in front of an oncoming motorcycle, and one occurred
when we pulled from a stop sign into the path of an oncoming
motorcycle. The combined loss on these accidents is currently
around 1.2 million. This amount will continue to increase
as these claims develop.
Motorcycles are more difficult for us to see because they
are smaller than a four-wheeled vehicle. In addition, our
brain is conditioned and more accustom to seeing a full size
vehicle and we sometimes just miss the cycle all together.
Application of your driving techniques and keeping the task
of driving top of mind is paramount when working to spot motorcycles.
Lesson:
Apply these techniques when driving:
- Include the area as far ahead as you can see,
in your scanning pattern as you drive.
- Verbalize to yourself or somehow mentally note
any time you see a cyclist in your travel area. Adopt
some sort of mental trigger to help your awareness level.
- Before initiating a left turn check the oncoming
traffic as you approach and throughout the turn.
- Be watchful of all possible activity at intersections.
Intersections can harbor pedestrian hazards, opposing
traffic hazards, and turning and speeding vehicle hazards.
Be extra alert at any intersection
When a motorcycle and a four-wheeled vehicle collide, the
outcome is typically very catastrophic for the cyclist. Apply
these techniques and remember too, that bicycles present a
similar set of hazards.
Please discuss the need to be watchful of two-wheeled vehicles
this season with your entire staff. Review your Eos: SAFE
Driver Improvement core techniques as a group and discuss
application of those techniques specific to SEEING motorcycles.
Linda Midyett
Area Manager
Safety and Loss Prevention, PestSure
Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc.
14241 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300
Dallas, TX 75254
972.663.6199
800.326.6203 |
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