High-speed driving is a common issue when it comes to driving big rigs. The faster the truck is driving, the higher the chance of a serious accident involving one or more vehicles.
Research indicates that high speed is the primary reason for a big crash in over 50 percent of the cases when it comes to big truck crashes. Big trucks cannot stop as fast as cars can and take a great deal more space to do so.
If you add the greater stopping distance and mix it in with other variables such as finding an ice patch or being cut off by a driver, you will end up in an instant tragedy. Especially when you’re driving a big truck, situations can arise around you, reasons which are outside your control, like adverse weather or wild drivers.
The easiest way to deal with these issues and prevent an unnecessary accident is by reducing or regulating the speed. One of the easiest ways to regulate your speed on dry roads when traveling interstate is to use the cruise control.
Some pertinent points that professional truckers need to understand when they use cruise control while driving on their road trips are as follows:
- LEGAL PROOF OF SPEED:
Your speed data is recorded in the ECM if your cruise control is active. In case of an accident, your speed data will help verify that you were driving within the legal speed limit. After an accident, law enforcement and insurance investigators look deeply into the cause of an accident where your speed data will be one of the most important pieces of evidence to protect you from any blame. This speed record can even be downloaded by you from the ECM conveniently.
Therefore once you enter a road, observe the speed limit sign, and activate your cruise control a little below the posted speed limit. It will give you sufficient space in front of the truck as a cushion between other racing cars. Also, the limiter set at a safe speed would keep you from losing track of your speed.
- BAD WEATHER:
Staying at a controlled normal speed helps you manage your vehicle’s stability in case the weather conditions change abruptly. If you are at a higher speed, handling your truck would be difficult.
Roads can suddenly become wet and windy and a sudden step on the brake pedal can destabilize your vehicle so the easiest way to slow down or handle your vehicle speed is to switch off the cruise control instantly by flipping off the cruise control switch.
- SLIPPERY ROADS:
Cruise control should be switched off immediately when roads become slippery. It is not safe to have the cruise control engaged when traveling on wet roads. What if your cruise control was active and you were running on a fixed speed and you suddenly hit an ice patch. It can be disastrous.
Most carriers and trucking companies strictly forbid their drivers to engage cruise controls on slippery roads. The carriers might terminate a driver’s job if they find out from the ECM that your cruise control was active during the time of an accident.
- SPEED LIMITER LAWS:
Some of the states are trying to enforce speed limiters for big trucks. What they don’t understand is that by doing so it will take away most of the control of the driver.
There can be many unforeseen situations where the drivers have to accelerate suddenly to save him or others by overtaking quickly. If there had been speed limiters he would not be able to do so.
- CONTROLLING YOUR SPEED WITH CRUISE CONTROL:
While driving on cruise control its easier to control your speed. You may not realize many times your speed has gone up and you realize it too late. If your cruise control is active you can confidently cruise along the road knowing that your speed is stable.
BENEFITS of using cruise control in trucks:
- Once you are driving with the cruise control engaged you can focus more on the things happening around you. You can even look into other driving aspects while being fixed at a safe speed.
- The speed of your truck is very much regulated by the speed limiter when your cruise control is active.
- Unknowingly your speed can increase or decrease while driving. This can be regulated by engaging the cruise control.
- Leaning into the speed pedal is easy and therefore the truck can go faster. Use the cruise control. It will help to avoid this from happening.
- Your truck will drink up less fuel once you are on slower speeds during the cruise control. Also staying in control is one of the biggest benefits of driving with cruise control on.
Driving fast may not earn you a lot of money but it can end up getting you hurt and damaging your vehicle in an accident. It can also hurt others around you. Drive slow, it will always save you from an accident.
