Distracted Driver Tips-Over Truck in Ditch

Hazard Alert

Avoid Distractions and Focus on Driving

The driver of a loaded log truck turned into the main entrance at the greenhouse site and passed through the open gate towards the scale.  As he proceeded, the truck encroached on the right-hand shoulder of the driveway and slipped off the road and into the ditch at a very slow speed.  As the trailer went into the ditch, the load shifted and tipped over the entire unit, coming to rest at a 45-degree angle.

Speed was not a factor.  When questioned, the driver did not offer any potential reasons/causes for the accident.  The assumed cause is distraction and/or inattention.

Recommendations to Prevent a Recurrence

Avoid distractions and focus on the task of driving.

Goals of the FSSNS

  • Save lives and reduce injuries.
  • Reduce all costs associated with work place accidents.
  • Improve profits.
  • Maintain compliance with regulatory bodies.
  • Manage and establish ownership of industry managed loss control programs.
  • Reduce Workers' Compensation rates.
The Forestry Safety Society of Nova Scotia is registered under the Societies Act of Nova Scotia. It is a separate entity, having a Memorandum of Association and By-Laws. The Society is governed by a Board of Directors, representing all sectors of the forest industry.