Question
Does the insurance industry maintain a compilation of gate accidents?
I have witnessed many accidents over the years involving men operating tailgates, all of them unnecessary. I have seen drivers walk away from their rigs allowing strangers to operate the gate without providing instructions or designating a single person to operate the gate.
I have my own opinions. (1) I believe all gate controls should be "keyed" with a simple key so that if there are several control positions only one person could be controling the gate at any time. A slotted key would fill this need, and if lost would not require a locksmith to make a replacement. (2) I feel that all controls actuating gate movement should actuate an audible signal for two to five seconds before the gate actually moves.
I feel that any carrier not instituting these improvements should face a higher premium.
[This message has been edited by newyorktwo (edited October 25, 1999).]
Answer
I do not know where one would go to get this information on an industry basis. However, each insurance company may utilize it's actuarial department to keep these statistics. If your idea is specifically detailed and presented to the manufacturers, it could gain some consideration most especially if worked with the cooperation of the insurance industry.
Answer
I'm in the insurance business and fairly new to trucking. What are these gate operations? Is it some type of loading and unloading?
The chances for the data being available are directly proportional to the how incidental these types of accidents are to the particular operation. If the "operation" is truck driving, the data might not be readily available. However, if the operation is "loading and unloading", the data might be more available.