Even experienced drivers have misconceptions about how to use ABS, anti-jack-knife and anti-rollover systems; what is more worrying is that many are unaware of the real causes of jack-knifing and rollovers. IRST (International Road Safety Training) is a training organisation that takes a unique way of dispelling the myths and showing drivers exactly what modern safety systems are capable of, and just as importantly what they are not capable of without the driver providing the correct response to a situation.
A day with IRST is not a day spent in the classroom, desperately trying to stay awake while watching videos and Powerpoint presentations. This is true hands-on training: taking a truck and tanker trailer to the point of where it will roll, and beyond; showing on a skidpan the correct way to emergency brake with and without ABS, and why the two techniques are different – so different that using the wrong one can have disastrous results.
IRST's approach starts with a short spell in the classroom, where the instructors engage with the drivers and challenge them to think about the issues of rollovers, jack-knifing and emergency braking. Causes and effects are shown through demonstrations, and myths are conclusively dispelled without the experienced drivers ever being preached to.
Then the drivers are taken out to the driving practice area, and instead of being shown a demonstration of how easy it is to roll a truck and trailer, or to lose all control under heavy braking, they get to do it themselves in a safe and controlled manner. They then experience how safety systems such as ESP and EB+ can help them avoid becoming a victim of a rollover and learn how to make the most of ABS and other braking safety systems to keep control even in the harshest of conditions.
With compulsory training for drivers fast approaching, companies should be looking to identify the skills they need their drivers to learn. The ability to make full use of the safety systems that today's trucks are equipped with, and the knowledge of how to respond correctly in a potentially serious situation, are surely two components that every company should be looking to include in their drivers' training.
A full article on the training offered by IRST will appear in the July issue of Truck & Driver. IRST is sponsored by Volvo, Haldex and GoodyearDunlop.