FATALITY ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL EVALUATION (FACE) PROGRAM
Tanker Truck Involved in Deadly Crash on Interstate
SUMMARY
February 17, 2014, on a cloudy Monday, around 4:40 p.m., a 40 year-old male tanker truck driver (victim) was driving down a straight level 3-lane interstate headed north bound to a neighboring state going approximately 70 m.p.h., to deliver his 45, 000 lbs. of liquid sodium sulfate. The victim came upon a slow moving vehicle in the right lane, the victim swerved to the left to avoid the vehicle and his 2001 Kenworth tractor trailer left the road. The victim then overcorrected and his semi flipped landing on its top in the right side of the roadway in a grassy area with a rock cut ditch.To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendations have been made:
- Recommendation No. 1: Commercial motor vehicle drivers should avoid distracted driving to prevent resultant collisions and driver errors.
- Recommendation No. 2: Commercial motor vehicle companies should consider using Defensive Driving training for their employees on an annual basis.
- Recommendation No. 3: Commercial motor vehicle drivers should be trained to know the signs of fatigue and steps to take to eliminate driving while fatigued.
- Recommendation No. 4: Commercial motor vehicle drivers should avoid over-correcting or evasive maneuvers due to the significant rollover risks of tanker trucks