Introducing "Preventive Driving Technique": The Future of Trucking Safety

 

In the ever-evolving world of logistics and road transportation, safety is paramount — especially for truck and tractor-trailer drivers who command some of the largest vehicles on our highways. While many are familiar with “defensive driving,” a new and more proactive approach is emerging that promises even greater safety outcomes: Preventive Driving Technique.

Coined and championed by Nigerian transport expert Ayoola Ashiru, Preventive Driving Technique is a forward-thinking concept designed to go beyond merely reacting to hazards. Instead, it equips truck drivers with the psychological, strategic, and technical tools to anticipate and prevent dangers before they manifest.

Who Is Ayoola Ashiru?

Ayoola Ashiru is a prominent Nigerian transport and haulage expert known for his deep insights into logistics, trucking safety, and driver education. A vocal advocate for the formal training of Nigerian truck drivers, Ashiru has written extensively about cost structures in trucking businesses, the need for structured driving schools, and the importance of female inclusion in the trucking industry. Through his platforms on Medium and LinkedIn, he has consistently pushed for reforms to raise the professional standard and safety record of Nigerian truck drivers.

What Is Preventive Driving Technique?

Unlike Defensive Driving, which focuses on protecting oneself by reacting cautiously to the mistakes of others, Preventive Driving takes a more proactive stance. Think of it as safety engineering in motion — a method that combines awareness, foresight, psychology, and mechanical diligence to keep the truck, driver, and public safe. It’s about creating an environment where the chances of an incident are minimized long before threats appear.

Ashiru’s Preventive Driving Technique revolves around five core pillars:

1. Behavior and Road Psychology of a Truck Driver

Driving a truck requires more than technical skills — it demands emotional intelligence and self-awareness. Preventive drivers understand the impact of fatigue, frustration, overconfidence, and distraction. They cultivate patience, regulate aggression, and maintain discipline even in chaotic traffic environments.

Ashiru’s framework encourages drivers to routinely self-check their emotional state, understanding that stress or anger can cloud judgment, slow reaction time, or lead to reckless decisions. A calm mind behind the wheel leads to clearer vision and safer outcomes.

2. Visual Search: Seeing the Road Differently

Effective truck driving is about seeing more than the road ahead. Preventive drivers conduct continuous visual sweeps, scanning mirrors, blind spots, the road surface, signs, pedestrian zones, and side streets.

Ashiru emphasizes training drivers to use predictive observation — looking not just at what is happening, but what might happen. For example, noticing a pedestrian pacing near a crosswalk or a car inching forward at a junction.

3. Speed and Space Management

Speed is not just a number — it’s a strategy. Preventive driving involves controlling momentum to match road conditions, vehicle load, and weather. Rather than racing to meet delivery schedules, preventive drivers prioritize control over the vehicle.

Equally vital is space management — maintaining sufficient distance in front, behind, and on both sides of the truck. Ashiru advises applying the “6-second rule” for spacing and ensuring that escape lanes are always considered in case of emergencies.

4. Hours of Service Compliance

Fatigue is a silent killer on Nigerian highways. Preventive drivers understand the importance of adhering to Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, ensuring they are well-rested before each journey.

In Ashiru’s approach, this is not just about legal compliance but about protecting lives. He recommends companies incorporate fatigue management programs that track sleep cycles and provide mandatory rest periods.

5. Air Brake Inspection Activities

One of the most overlooked causes of truck-related accidents is brake failure. Preventive Driving Technique demands rigorous pre-trip and post-trip inspections — especially of the air brake systems.

Ashiru advocates for daily checks on compressor pressure levels, low air pressure warning systems, brake lining wear, and emergency braking response. Drivers are trained to listen, feel, and smell for abnormalities — developing a kind of mechanical intuition.

Why Preventive Driving Technique Matters

Road safety isn’t just about avoiding collisions — it’s about changing the way we think and act behind the wheel. Ashiru’s Preventive Driving Technique shifts the mindset from reaction to prediction, from self-preservation to community protection.

In Nigeria, where the trucking sector suffers from infrastructure challenges, poor driver training, and frequent accidents, adopting this new model could be transformative. It addresses the root causes of accidents — not just the symptoms.

Final Thoughts

Preventive Driving Technique is more than a set of actions; it’s a philosophy of anticipation, awareness, and accountability. As Ayoola Ashiru continues to shape transport conversations in Nigeria and beyond, this technique stands as a beacon for a safer, smarter future on our roads.

If widely adopted, it could drastically reduce truck-related incidents, lower insurance claims, and most importantly, save lives.

Let us move beyond just surviving the road. Let’s prevent the next accident before it ever happens.