National Tank Truck Carriers has produced a new version of the Cargo Tank Rollover Prevention Video it developed with the U.S. Department of Transportation to help educate water tanker drivers on the special characteristics of tank truck vehicles and the actions they can take to avoid rollovers.

"While this DVD was originally developed for commercial tank truck drivers, the principles of tank truck vehicle dynamics, road challenges, and safe driving practices it presents are equally applicable to water tankers  used in emergency response," said Jim Shaeffer, president of McKenzie Tank Lines, Tallahassee, Fla,, and chairman of National Tank Truck Carriers.

The original 20-minute video (available for viewing online) was produced by the U.S. Department of Transportation with input from National Tank Truck Carriers in 2010 following increased industry and government concerns about the number of tank truck rollovers. It focuses on: tank truck vehicle design; cargo/load factors; highway factors; and driver factors.  The video features real tank truck drivers who share their experiences, different types of tank truck equipment and detailed graphics, and various highway challenges.  

NTTC says fire department water tanker rollovers are not a new phenomenon. The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report on firefighter deaths from tanker truck rollovers in 2001. It said there had been 62 deaths from water tanker rollovers from 1977-1999. The report did not include the injuries.

The video was based in part on information developed in 2007 in a detailed cargo tank rollover report prepared for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Among information in that report was that over 75% of rollovers are caused by a driver's action or inaction, the majority of rollovers are single vehicle crashes that occur on straight dry roadways (not exit ramps as is often thought,) and that about one-quarter of tanker rollovers involve straight trucks where the tank sits on the truck body.  

A free copy of the new video can be obtained by contacting NTTC at 703-838-1960 or by email to nttcstaff@tanktruck.org.