As South Africans eagerly anticipate the upcoming December summer holidays, many are preparing for road trips to their families and vacation destinations. While this season brings joy and the promise of memorable experiences, it also comes with increased congestion on the country’s roads and, regrettably, a surge in road accidents.
The number of trucks on South African roads has increased over the last few years due to a decline in freight rail volumes. On the N3 Toll Route, for instance, heavy vehicles make up more than 30% of traffic..
Accidents involving heavy trucks often result in severe consequences. While the causes of these incidents are complex and multifaceted, a driver’s behavior on the road can play a crucial role in preventing tragedy. Equally important is the conduct of other road users around trucks, as their actions can significantly influence the likelihood of an accident occurring.
Understanding the causes of accidents is crucial to preventing them. Since 1969, Volvo Trucks’ Accident Research Team has analyzed accident data and investigated over 1,700 truck-related incidents.Volvo Trucks’ safety research highlights that reducing road accidents requires a combination of enhanced truck safety systems, improved road infrastructure, and increased risk awareness among all road users.
“The human factor, which applies to all road users, is a key element,” said Waldemar Christensen, Managing Director of Volvo Trucks South Africa. “How a driver anticipates and responds to situations—particularly on busy roads—can significantly impact the risk of accidents involving trucks. To this day, the driver is still the number one safety system in the truck. An attentive driver who understands the risks makes all the difference.”
Advancements in vehicle technology, such as seatbelts, automated transmissions, and more recently, automated emergency braking, lane-keeping support, collision avoidance systems, and blind spot cameras, are helping to create safer driving conditions. “The insights gained from this ongoing research are vital in Volvo Trucks’ efforts to build even safer trucks. We share our findings with the broader community to help make our roads safer,” explained Christensen.
There are six common truck accident types that involve three kinds of road users: truck drivers, car drivers (and passengers) and vulnerable road users (pedestrians and cyclists etc.).
Collision with Oncoming Car
This is the most common truck accident that leads to severe injury or fatality for car occupants. They typically occur as a result of too high speed, driver inattention, or a misjudged/incorrect overtaking. In the majority of cases, the car enters the lane of the truck. These accidents often have a severe outcome for the car occupant due to the high relative speed and the big difference in weight between the truck and the car.
Intersection accident with a car
These are accidents in which a truck and a car collide at an intersection. It can either be the truck front that impacts the car side or vice versa. These types of accidents are often caused by a failure to give way. Excessive speed or limited visibility can also have an impact on the risk of accident.
Crossing pedestrian
These collisions usually affect pedestrians, but motorcycle riders and cyclists are also at risk. Crossing accidents occur when the pedestrian crosses in front of a truck travelling at moderate to high speed. They usually occur in urban areas, and there can be several causes for this type of accident: for example, truck driver inattention or limited visibility. Pedestrian inattention or misjudgment of the speed of the truck are other causes.
Lane departure accidents
Lane departure accidents are those where the truck leaves its lane, and even the road itself. It often involves the truck rolling over or colliding with an object. Main causes of this type of accident include driver inattention or fatigue, as well as swerving to avoid obstacles. They are also common in rainy conditions while driving when the roads are slippery, or the edge of the road is not clearly visible.
Colliding with the rear of another truck
Collision with a truck that is standing still or travelling at lower speed in the same lane is a very common accident type in which truck occupants are severely or even fatally injured. The most common causes are driver inattention or driving too close to the vehicle in front. Limited visibility or slippery roads can, of course, contribute as well. This usually results in the main impact on the passenger’s side.
“Our safety vision is about safety for everyone. Because for us, developing safer trucks has always been about more than protection. We create smart safety systems that are designed to monitor truck behavior and surrounding traffic – not just to protect, but to predict safety hazards and react,” stated Christensen. “The systems may be out of sight, but they are engineered to activate and to support the driver in a wide variety of conceivable situations. For the safety of the driver, as well as all other road users.”