UPS TRUCKS AVOIDING LEFT-HAND TURNS
Have you ever seen a UPS truck make a left-hand turn? If you were born after the 1970’s, there’s a chance you might not have.
UPS has had a routing system in place for decades that favors their truck drivers never turning left. There are numerous safety benefits to this company wide policy, which include greatly reducing the risk of truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, accident-related injuries and accident-related fatalities.
Was helping their drivers avoid truck accidents, saving the lives of pedestrians and avoiding catastrophic injuries from accidents the reason UPS started this policy?
Well, not exactly…
UPS TRUCKS AVOIDING LEFT-HAND TURNS – HOW IT SAVES MONEY
As is the case with most corporate decisions, the original truck driver strategy at UPS was developed to save money…and it clearly has achieved that goal.
In 2011, according to a report from Fortune, the company claimed that by favoring right-hand turns:
- they used 10 million gallons of less fuel
- they reduced emissions by 20,000 metric tons
- delivered 350,000 more packages
A more recent report from the Independent suggests these numbers have nearly doubled in the years since. With the online shopping industry surging, these numbers will only continue to grow for UPS in the years ahead.
UPS TRUCKS AVOIDING LEFT-HAND TURNS – HOW IT SAVES LIVES
According to a recent CNN report, a study on crash factors by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) shows that turning left is one of the leading “critical pre-crash events”. They define a critical pre-crash event as an event that makes a collision inevitable.
A couple of eye-opening findings from the NHTSA study along with one from a study done by NYC’s transportation planners:
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Turning left is the critical pre-crash event in 22.2% percent of all crashes, including both truck accidents and car accidents
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About 61% of crashes that occur while turning or crossing an intersection involve left turns, as opposed to only 3% for right turns
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Left turns are three times more likely to kill pedestrians than right turns.
Financial benefits might have been the original motivator for their “no lefts” strategy, but in the process, UPS is clearly making it safer for their truck drivers and all of us who share the road with them.
We have represented several victims of truck accidents over the years at Mintz & Geftic. These clients have included both the hardworking truck drivers traveling our roadways and the other drivers that they share the road with. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, those involved in truck accidents are often the most seriously injured.
With our main office in an urban area like Elizabeth, there is also a high risk of pedestrians being struck by a truck or car.
If other companies follow UPS’ lead and start reducing the number of left-hand turns, hopefully the number of truck accidents will come down as well.
Stay safe out there!
Sources:
photos:
UPS truck turning left: Blake Caldwell – http://blakecaldwell.net and on Flickr – great catch Blake!
Big Foot Xing – wiki commons
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