Highway 401 still safe for truck drivers

By Kristen Oelschlagel

A fiery crash on Highway 401 doesn’t mean the road is unsafe for transport truck drivers say transportation experts.

On May 15 an eastbound transport truck collided with a westbound truck after crossing over the median. The collision happened on Highway 401 near Shannonville Road. The two truck drivers died.

The reason the eastbound truck crossed over the median is still unknown. But Marco Beghetto, vice president of communications and new media for the Ontario Trucking Association, said there is nothing wrong with the 401.

“Generally, Ontario is one of the safest jurisdictions in North America,” Beghetto said.

Beghetto said incidents where trucks cross over the median don’t occur very often and usually are caused by driver error.

At the point where the eastbound truck crossed over the median there is no barrier.

Bob Nichols, senior media liaison officer for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, said the ministry maintains strict, province-wide standards for medians.

“The Highway 401 median, west of Marysville Road, meets those standards as a straight, wide, open grass median with side slopes and no hazards such as culverts,” Nichols said.

The ministry has no plans for a barrier system along this section of the 401.

In 2008, there were 16,416 collisions in Ontario involving transport trucks. Beghetto said transport trucks represent 3.9 per cent of all vehicles in collisions.

“Statistically, trucks involved in collisions with non-commercial vehicles, the trucks are overwhelmingly not at fault in those collisions,” said Beghetto.

But Beghetto said there is more that could be done to make transport trucks safer.

“There is currently no truck driver training standard in Canada, as long as you pass the road test, it’s your choice whether you take training or not,” Beghetto said.

“The association supports a unified training standard. We are definitely interested in increasing the level of training our truck drivers would undergo as part of the license system.”

Beghetto said the association is also supporting new technology that would make the driving of transport trucks safer such as electronic stability control. It would sense a rollover before it happens and correct the truck.

Transport Canada mandates that drivers take 10 hours off for every 13 hours they drive to avoid fatigue. The association hopes to enforce that by making on-board recorders mandatory for all trucks.

“It would record driver’s hours to ensure they wouldn’t go over the limited number of hours by law,” said Beghetto.

Beghetto said this will help make sure drivers aren’t fatigued which will make their drive much safer.