POLICY ON BACKING

It is considered policy to call in to dispatch, give location and request permission to back the vehicle. The dispatcher then gives you instruction to follow backing procedures, and get out of the driver’s seat and look behind the vehicle for any obstructions before backing the vehicle. Drivers not looking before they move the vehicle are causing most of our backing accidents. This is very easy to detect through accident investigation.

The procedure is very simple:

  • Call in to dispatch via radio and “request” permission to back the vehicle. Give location.
  • Dispatch should respond with instructions for safe backing, like: “Make certain that before you back the vehicle, you get out and look behind the vehicle”.
  • Before attempting to back the vehicle, get out of the seat go to either the outside rear or the inside back window and assess the situation. Look for all obstructions in the backing path. Also you must make yourself aware of all possible avenues of approach by which other vehicles may approach upon your backing path.
  • As you are backing, back slowly and only half the distance planned. Look in your mirrors at all times to determine if the backing path is the same as you had determined.
  • Stop the vehicle before you get to the planned destination, repeat the process of getting out of the seat and looking behind the vehicle.
  • If you must back into tight, close spaces, measure off the distance to a point before the obstacle (back of vehicle). Then measure the same distance from your window to a point on the ground and mark that spot on the ground going toward the rear of the vehicle. Then as you back go slowly enough to stop as the marker gets to your window. We will be glad to give examples of this process if you are confused.

These steps to backing are the steps we know that will keep you out of backing accidents if you use them. They are also procedures prescribed by this company. In the event that you are involved in a backing accident, these steps will be scrutinized in determining if you took every precaution the avoid the accident

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Backing Policy.doc