TC0619

SAFETY
TIPS
Smartphones are distracting, but our ever-smarter
trucks can divert our attention, too
Every driver is aware, of course, of the dangers of
distractions created by smartphones. They see the evidence
every day, practically every mile. Drivers, including drivers
of trucks, whose attention is drawn to reading an email,
answering a text or studying the latest meme on their favorite
social media site often have difficulty maintaining a lane or
controlling vehicle speed and, in many cases, have sacrificed
their ability to quickly react to hazards.
But the driver doesn’t need a smartphone to be distracted
by technology. In many cases, the modern truck itself presents
the distraction. Worse, as technology eases and eliminates
the driver’s tasks, the amount of attention required to operate goes down or is eliminated entirely.
the vehicle is reduced. Complacency becomes the norm and And, technology has replaced a LOT of tasks in recent years.
driving skills deteriorate.
Take the aforementioned steering, for example. Lane
Long, long ago, trucks weren’t equipped with power departure warnings have been supplemented by automatic
steering. Unfortunately, the technological leap that made life lane centering. The machine doesn’t just make it easier to
easier for those who drove the trucks made it a little more steer. In an increasing number of cases, it does the steering
difficult for those who worked on them in the shop. Before for the driver.
power steering, drivers learned that speed and steering Proximity warning systems, used to supplement mirror
difficulty were directly related. Cranking the wheel while usage by providing warnings of hazards to the sides, can
stopped or while moving very slowly required lots of muscle. A effectively reduce or even eliminate mirror usage if drivers
few miles per hour of movement made it much easier to make allow them to.
steering adjustments. At highway speeds, very little steering Switches and mechanical controls are being replaced,
effort was needed for curves and lane changes.
too. New vehicles come with a computer screen built into
After power steering became standard, drivers no longer the dash. Is it cold? Press the “Cabin Atmosphere” tab, then
needed to muscle the wheel. It was possible to crank the front select “Heat,” and then use the slider bar to select the desired
wheels from one side to the other with a single finger. But, temperature. When finished, the driver can check trip progress,
the same mechanical muscle that made it easier to turn the contact the dispatcher and select a favorite radio station, all on
steering wheel also made it easier to damage tires and steering the same screen. Gone are the days when drivers memorized
components. Tires left black circles on pavement where the controls for these functions by touch, making adjustments
steering movements ground miles of tread onto the asphalt. Tie while their eyes never left the road.
rod ends absorbed more strain than ever before, wearing faster The latest technology taking the automotive industry by
or breaking. A new generation of drivers never had to learn the storm is voice recognition. Soon, the average driver won’t even
relationship between speed and steering effort, because the need to know where the heat controls are located or how to
machine took care of the steering effort for them. An important operate them. The driver will simply say, “Roboxa, (or whatever
piece of knowledge was lost to technology.
name the manufacturer assigns), turn on the heat,” and the
The same process can be observed in the replacement task will be done.
of manual transmissions with auto-shift models. Drivers who When it comes to conflict between technology and skill,
were once required to learn the critical relationships between there’s a parallel that the trucking industry and every single
engine RPMs, speed and torque now trust that knowledge to driver can learn from. Modern airliners are equipped with
the computer unit that controls the transmission. Knowing how auto-pilot systems that can, if necessary, handle takeoffs,
a clutch operates isn’t necessary, either, as increasing numbers landings, and all of the flying in-between those events. The
of trucks don’t have a clutch to operate.
systems are so reliable that pilots often engage them for the
In and of themselves, these advances in technology most difficult situations, like landing during a thunderstorm.
aren’t bad things. Nobody is arguing that the industry should No human can make the minute corrections necessary for
return to manual steering and twin-stick transmissions, but the safest and smoothest landing, so the pilots often depend
undeniably, when technology replaces a task performed by on the technology.
a driver, it reduces or eliminates the need for the driver to The trucking industry isn’t at an “auto-pilot” stage yet, but
comprehend and control that task. The need for knowledge it isn’t far off.
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