Freight transport causes traffic accidents for various reasons, one of these is the lack of lighting, so personnel from the Traffic Department of the National Civil Police (PNC) place reflective tapes on trailers and trucks, to make them more visible, especially at night and when it rains.
Delegates from the Traffic Department indicated that the reflective tapes are given to drivers as part of the Winter Road Safety 2019 campaign, which aims to reduce road mishaps.
They also mentioned that many of those vehicles are stranded due to mechanical damage or are parked in the middle of the lanes without any type of lighting, which has caused accidents, so they also make a call to conscience to the pilots to place reflective cones. and keep emergency lights in good condition.
According to statistics from the Traffic Department, trucks and trailers are responsible for 5.1 percent of accidents across the country. 39 percent of mishaps are caused by motorcyclists and the rest by drivers of different types of vehicles.
Prevention
Recently, the Traffic Department began training for pilots of private companies, since, according to authorities, many drivers are unaware of the rules for driving and therefore commit fouls.
Bad conditions
Rony Mendoza, president of the Heavy Transport Union, considers that the conditions in which truck and trailer drivers work are deplorable and that there is an unfair competition that does not allow those who work on their own to have better labor guarantees.
“If someone is offered a freight for Q3 thousand, there is never a shortage that arrives and offers Q2 thousand. That is unfair,” he lamented.
Mendoza said that the problem is that many drivers start driving from 1 in the morning and do not have adequate places to rest or eat food.
Also read: Rain causes damage in four departments in the south-west of the country
Pilot testimonials
Mechanical failures and fatigue of the head drivers are factors that affect the tragedies.
Rigoberto López, the trailer pilot, said: “They are machines, and at any moment they fail. This work is tiring. Time restrictions affect us. We drive all night to get through the city. Sometimes it makes me sleepy, like every human being”.
Alejandro Ramírez, the trailer pilot, stated: “There is also recklessness on the part of many drivers. You should drive to 80, and if urged at 85. After that there is a danger that the brakes will not respond. Some go up to 120 kilometers per hour, at night”.
According to authorities, there are several reasons why trailer and truck accidents occur.