Death in a parking lot: Take these steps to avoid tragedy
The unfortunate death of a truck driver last summer could have been avoided had the driver and his employer taken basic safety precautions, according to a new report from Washington State.
The 71-year-old tractor-trailer driver died while doing something that truckers across the country do every day: he was simply walking back to his cab in a truck-stop parking lot.
Little room to escape
After delivering freight to a warehouse, the driver pulled his truck into a vacant parking slot at a nearby truck stop so he could get some mandatory rest. As is often the case, it was a tight spot: there was only a narrow space between him and another truck to his left.
He went inside, paid his parking fee, and, upon returning to his vehicle, walked between the trucks to get to his cab. The truck parked next to his suddenly pulled forward and turned left, causing the rear of its trailer to pivot and sweep into the space where the driver was walking. The moving trailer struck the driver, pinned him against his trailer, and ran over him with its rear right wheels.
First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
His employer was in violation
Following the incident, investigators from Washington State’s workplace-safety agency — the Department of Labor & Industries — concluded that the driver’s employer violated state regulations by:
- Not developing an accident prevention program, and
- Failing to provide the driver with safety-orientation training specific to the workplace hazards he would encounter.
The agency also noted that the straight, back-in parking slots at the truck stop created a hazard of their own, with limited visibility and close proximity between trucks.
What can you do?
Drivers should not have to face a similar fate when doing something as mundane as walking through a parking lot. Safety in the lot — and compliance with applicable labor laws — begins with these two steps:
- Help drivers with pre-trip planning, including finding truck stops and rest areas with safe truck parking. What does safe parking look like? Consider the following:
- HDT beats SBI. Herringbone drive-through (HDT) parking slots, which are angled at 45 degrees, are much safer than straight back-in (SBI) slots. HDT slots allow trucks to enter and leave without having to back up. This lets drivers see the entire parking slot and the edges of adjacent slots. By contrast, SBI slots limit maneuvering visibility at the rear of the slot, creating a hazard for drivers on foot.
- Consider other safety features. A good truck stop has much more than showers and tasty food. Look for those with designated parking areas that have good lighting, security cameras, fencing, controlled access, and are not deserted or isolated.
- Make sure your written safety program includes policies, procedures, and training related to safety in the parking lot. The policies and training should instruct drivers, whenever possible, to:
- Park in brightly lit areas.
- Wear a hi-visibility reflective vest when outside the cab.
- Use a flashlight or a pendant with a blinking light when it’s dark.
- Put away phones and electronic devices when walking through the lot, and always maintain situational awareness.
- Avoid unnecessarily walking between parked trucks, especially when the space between them is less than eight feet wide.
- Inform drivers in adjacent parking slots before doing a walk-around vehicle inspection.
- Walk as far away from traffic as possible, especially near parking lot entrances or at the end of the rows where there is a greater risk of being struck.
Finally, be aware of the worker-safety laws that may apply. Washington State, for example, has a regulation that requires employers to implement and enforce an effective accident prevention program that includes training.
Key to remember: A truck driver’s death in a parking lot last summer was preventable had the driver and his employer taken basic steps to ensure his well-being. Make sure your safety program addresses parking-lot safety.