Fully assuring truck driver safety can be difficult on the driest of days when the visibility is perfect, so when the roads are glazed with the rain, snow and ice of winter, extra measures are essential. If you’re looking for a guide on keeping your truck drivers safe in their Scania trucks through the winter months, you’ve arrived at the ideal destination.
Specialising in selling quality pre-owned trucks to customers across the country, we are an independent dealership that keeps quality customer service at the forefront of our business. For pre-owned Scania trucks, pre-owned vehicles or any other leading brands, explore our entire range of trucks for sale to discover your new logistics solution.
So, what do Scania vehicles have that assure truck driver safety?
Scania truck driver safety precautions
As one of the leading truck manufacturers anywhere in the world, Swedish company Scania has several innovative safety features that make their vehicles utterly superior during the cold winter months. Proudly giving drivers complete peace of mind by protecting their vehicles from every angle, Scania’s level of truck driver safety features is unrivalled, no matter if you’re driving in the winter chill or are combatting the challenges of the summer heat.
Electronic Stability Programme (ESP)
Keeping your vehicle stable is especially important for truck drivers who are often hauling heavy and expensive goods over long distances. That’s why the Scania ESP (electronic stability program) was introduced. This software monitors the stability of a Scania truck and enacts appropriate measures if anomalies are detected, preventing potentially catastrophic issues. This feature is particularly useful when driving on wet or icy roads where steering faults regularly occur.
Area view HD 360° camera system
Unlike regular cars which rely on just the rear-view mirror and wing mirrors for added interior visibility, Scania trucks offer an Area view HD 360° camera system that makes the entire area around a vehicle entirely visible. Using four wide-angle HD cameras, drivers can enjoy the safety of full 360° visibility on the road, keeping a safe distance from surrounding cars, particularly when in harsh winter conditions. This system can be installed on different Scania models, if not pre-fitted, including the popular R-Series range.
Advanced emergency braking (AEB)
One of the biggest considerations when driving in winter is maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you in case you need to use emergency braking. Using long-distance radar technology, Scania’s AEB system communicates with a central processing unit and uses data from the engine control system and speedometer to assess the risk to the vehicle and driver. A series of warnings is given to the driver if the necessary brakes are not applied, and, if necessary, the system will engage emergency braking.
This particular truck driver safety feature gives Scania an advantage over other competitors like Volvo.
How the Scania driver app can help winter driving
Technology should be used to your advantage when taking on the challenging conditions of the winter roads, as we’ll discuss again later in this blog. There are few better applications you can use than Scania’s very own Driver app which can send real-time feedback to your device, providing data on braking, speed management and more, helping you to become a better and safer driver.
Scania truck driver safety is prioritised with this app. Not only is this integrated source of information useful for the driver to hone their skills in challenging weather, aiding with fuel-efficient driving, but the app also includes convenient safety features too. Using the remote heater controls you can schedule timers to preheat your cab and even your engine, too, optimising your work time. Heating your engine and your cab before you set off also makes for a safer vehicle, with the perfect climate removing all distractions while improving internal visibility.
Scania – Your Guide to Winter Safety
–
Truck Driver Safety Winter Checklist
Winter brings a new set of challenges to driving, with icy roads impacting handling, reduced visibility impairing your depth perception and cold temperatures potentially influencing your reaction time. This means any road vehicle, from trucks to cars to bicycles has to adapt, with Scania even putting out a brochure of their own to help combat these challenges.
Truck safety checks before you set off
- Weather conditions: One of the first things you might even instinctively do before setting off on a long journey is to assess the weather conditions. Check the forecast well ahead of time and look out for inclement weather like snow, ice or fog and prepare yourself and your vehicle so that you have the situational awareness to deal with every potential event.
- Maintenance check: A truck engine has to work harder in cold weather, so making sure it’s in good working order before you set off is essential. Conduct pre-trip inspection HGV safety inspection, checking battery health, brake lights, tyre pressure and more. This preventive maintenance will better your odds that you won’t experience any major issues on the motorway.
- Plan your trip: Carefully selecting a route in advance and factoring for any potential adverse weather conditions can help you prepare yourself and your vehicle for any eventuality. Scoping out alternative routes while ensuring that your truck is filled with such essentials as a first aid kit and a truck atlas will mean you’re prepared for anything.
- Secure your cargo: This one will depend on what type of vehicle you’re driving and the kind of cargo you might be carrying. Nonetheless, make sure to use appropriate load securement devices such as cinch straps, load locks or internal nets. This will aid in the stability of your vehicle in cold conditions and should guarantee the safety of your cargo.
Maintaining truck safety while you’re driving
- Use technology to your advantage: Technology is your friend, no matter if you’re the person driving the truck or the individual in charge of fleet safety and management systems that use GPS tracking systems. But, for drivers in particular, make sure to use dash cams and sat navs that will update you on any traffic and weather changes.
- Avoid distractions: This may sound at odds with the previous tip, but particularly during challenging winter conditions, you need to have your undivided attention on maintaining a safe following distance from the car in front of you. This means setting and forgetting the sat nav and the music that might be coming out of your phone before you set off. Save these luxuries for when you’ve stopped the vehicle in a safe place and are lying down for a doze in your sleeper cab.
- Practice defensive driving: Defensive driving helps you stay safe on the road. This can be achieved in several ways, including the maintenance of your speed, keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you and the constant awareness of other road users, using your rearview and side mirrors while checking your blind spots for other vehicles.
- Personal health: According to Brake, the road safety charity, it is estimated that between 10% and 20% of all road crashes worldwide are related to fatigue. It is therefore imperative that you manage this, preventing drowsiness when driving by taking regular breaks and making sure your cab is at an adequate temperature when it’s freezing cold outside.
Assure Scania truck driver safety with Smith Bros’ range
At Smith Bros, we’re all about pairing our customers with the perfect truck for them, no matter what kind of vehicle they’re looking for. But, we also care deeply about helping you keep your truck maintained for the future, that’s why we only offer the very best used trucks on the market, including exemplary vehicles from Scania, as well as Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and DAF.
Designed by the very best truck manufacturers to battle whatever conditions the snow, rain, ice and winds that winter may throw at your vehicle. To optimise your fleet with resilient trucks, built to last, that also prioritise truck driver safety, contact Smith Bros today to find out more about the kind of vehicles we can offer.