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operating any vehicle, take it easy as you begin. Be sure
you know how to stop quickly in an emergency. If you need
help, ask your supervisor for assistance.
Many factors contribute to accidents. You have control over
several of the most important. Your actions, such as driving
too fast for conditions, braking too fast, turning too sharp,
and combinations of these, are frequent cause of accidents.
One of the major causes of accidents is fatigue. Be sure to
take occasional breaks. It is very important that you stay
alert at all times.
Never operate the vehicle, or any equipment, if you are
under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Even
prescription drugs and cold medicines can cause
drowsiness. Read the label on the medicine or check with
your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure about a certain
medication.
One of the most important rules to follow is to go slower in
unfamiliar areas. It is surprising how much damage and
injury common things can cause. Tree branches, fences,
wires, other vehicles, tree stumps, ditches, sand traps,
streams, and other things found in most parks and golf
courses can be hazardous to the operator and passenger.
Avoid driving when it is dark, especially in unfamiliar
areas. If you must drive when it is dark, be sure to drive
cautiously, use the head lights, and even consider adding
additional lights.
Passengers
Whenever you have a passenger riding in the vehicle make
sure he or she is holding on securely. Drive slower and turn
less sharply because your passenger does not know what
you are going to do next and may not be prepared for
turning, stopping, accelerating, and bumps.
You and your passenger should remain seated at all times,
keeping arms and legs inside the vehicle. The operator
should keep both hands on steering wheel, whenever
possible and passenger should use hand holds provided.
There should never be passengers in the dump box or on
any attachments. The vehicle is meant to have one driver
and only one passenger–no more.
Speed
Speed is one of the most important variables leading to
accidents. Driving too fast for the conditions can cause you
to lose control and have an accident. Speed can also make a
minor accident worse. Driving head–on into a tree at slow
speed can cause injury and damage, but, driving into a tree
at high speed can destroy the vehicle and kill you and your
passenger.
Never drive too fast for the conditions. If there is any doubt
about how fast to drive, slow down.
When using heavy attachments (more than 1000 pounds),
such as sprayers, top dressers, or spreaders, etc., operating
speeds should be restricted by moving 3rd high lockout
switch to slow–
– position.
Turning
Turning is another important variable leading to accidents.
Turning too sharply for the conditions can cause the vehicle
to lose traction and skid, or even tip over.
Wet, sandy and slippery surfaces make turning more
difficult and risky. The faster you are going, the worse this
situation becomes so, slow down before turning.
During a sharp turn at higher speeds, the inside rear wheel
may lift off of the ground. This is not a flaw in the design,
it happens with most four wheel vehicles including
passenger cars. If this happens, you are turning too sharply
for the speed at which you are traveling. Slow down!
Braking
It is good practice to slow down before you get near an
obstacle. This gives you extra time to stop or turn away.
Hitting an obstacle can damage the vehicle and its contents.
More important, it can injure you and your passenger.
Gross vehicle weight has a major impact on your ability to
stop and/or turn. Heavier loads and heavier attachments
make a vehicle harder to stop or turn. The heavier the load,
the longer it takes to stop.
The braking characteristics also change with no bed or
attachment on the vehicle. Fast stops may cause the rear
wheels to lock up before the front wheels lock up, which
may affect the control of the vehicle. It is a good idea to
decrease vehicle speed with no bed or attachment.
Turf and pavement are much slipperier when they are wet.
It can take 2 to 4 times as long to stop on wet surfaces as on
dry surfaces.
If you drive through standing water deep enough to get the
brakes wet, they will not work well until they are dry. After
driving through water, you should test the brakes to make
sure they work properly. If they do not, drive slowly in first
gear while putting light pressure on the brake pedal. This
will dry the brakes out.
Do not downshift for braking on icy or slippery surfaces
(wet grass) or while going down a hill because engine
braking may cause skidding and loss of control. Shift to a
lower gear before starting down a hill.
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