The trucking industry has the most smokers of any other industry except construction workers; and while cigarettes are banned from most workplaces, the workplace of a tractor trailer has pretty much been left alone. This is not an unusual scenario but smoking while driving is among the top three causes of traffic accidents today. A driver looking for cigarettes or a lighter is distracted from the road; same for a driver lighting a cigarette or other tobacco while driving. A dropped lit cigarette in the cab can cause a driver to overreact and possibly cause an accident because they’re trying to find the burning object and become distracted again.
Think About What You’re Doing
Driving a rig is a huge responsibility. The driver has to take responsibility for whatever he’s carrying in the load, all 18 wheels and tires must be up to par, the mechanical condition of the tractor and trailer must be monitored to make sure no surprises are waiting around the corner and the driver is professionally trained to pilot that rig down the road in the safest manner. But when you start letting the tobacco urge interfere with what you know best, your concentration fails and things can go wrong real fast.
Breaks and Alternatives
If you’re a driver who smokes, you’re no different than any other driver in the fact that you know that truck inside and out…or you should! The only difference is you have a need for a little tobacco now and then; just to settle the nerves and raise that nicotine level up a bit so you can carry on. Some truckers say they adopt a rule when they’re driving. They won’t have a cigarette or pipe or cigar until they’re stopped; or when they decide to take a fuel or rest break. Smokers will tell you that when the craving hits, they have to have a cigarette right now. If you look at any health blog or E cigarette blog you can find information to point you in the direction of alternatives to smoking regular cigarettes.
Tags: cigarettes, smoking, Truck Driving, trucking industry