The Walk Around or Your Approach to the Vehicle

For those of you who drive company vehicles this may not be new to you – the Walk Around. This is the practice of walking around your vehicle (a complete 360) doing a quick inspection to make certain there are no vehicle defects (fluid leaks, low or damaged tires, etc.,) and that the area that you intend to enter is clear. Often times our fleet customers have the practice of placing a cone on the ground near one corner of the vehicle to remind the driver to walk around the vehicle first before placing the cone in or on the truck.

Why? What’s the value of this? Isn’t this a waste of time – especially if you’re in a hurry? I have already mentioned one benefit to this practice – identifying any possible vehicle problems so they can be taken care of before they become big problems. (Most serious vehicle failures can be avoided by paying attention and taking care of problems early on.)

Another benefit is that by checking the space you plan to move into, you can avoid some serious and minor collisions – especially the backing ones. Over 40% of fleet collisions are backing collisions. Backing is a dangerous maneuver and it is not uncommon for a person to approach his/her vehicle from the front or side and then back out the driveway – BIG mistake if the person did not walk around to check out what is in the space behind the vehicle. The blind spot to the rear of a passenger car or van can be anywhere from 40 to 70 feet, depending on the design of the vehicle.

The kids’ toys, bikes or the kids themselves could be in that area and they would be completely invisible to a driver who hops in the vehicle without checking the back area first. It only takes a few seconds to check out the space and it can save you a lifetime of grief.
One other benefit to the walk around is that it serves as a pattern interrupt. Typically, after a person has gained some experience as a driver, the driver begins to take things for granted. Manipulative skills are no longer a challenge and the driver may have driven hundreds of times without incident. So it is common for the driver to get into the vehicle with almost anything on her mind except driving. You might be thinking about where you plan to be, the conversation you just had (or the one you’re having now on your cell – whether it’s voice or text), the anticipation of an upcoming event (like a ball game) or listening to one of your favorite tunes on your Ipod or MP3 player or completing the paperwork on the job you just finished. Whatever it is, your mind is not on driving.
But, if have to pause (to pick up a cone or to walk around the vehicle and inspect the vehicle and glance for the open space), your conscious pattern is interrupted and you can take a few moments to orient yourself to the few things you need to do to prepare to complete your next task (getting from point A to point B collision-free) before that other than conscious part of you takes over again.
It may not seem like much, but it can make all the difference in the world.

Check your Permit and License Expiration Dates

(Marlene, thanks for the great suggestion.)

It’s a good idea to check the expiration date on your student’s permit and license. A new law in Texas requires that permits and provisional licenses issued to minors expire on the minor’s 18th birthday. However, that may not be the case for those who received their permit or license prior to September 1, 2009. In fact, the Texas DPS is in the process of replacing their computer system and not all of the driver license offices have the new hardware and they may not yet be able to comply with the new laws.

This is also good advice for adults. When we train fleet drivers, we have had individuals show up for the training with an expired driver license. Anyone can make an honest mistake and overlook this, but that does not waive their liability (or their employer’s) if they are involved in a collision. So take a moment and check now.

Drive like your life depends on it…because it does.
Sincerely,
Patrick Barrett
Driver Ed in a Box®