Before every drive, a Vehicle 360 Walk Around helps spot hazards, ensure safety, and prevent accidents. Confirm it's safe before you drive!
Before driving or operating a vehicle, a 360 Walk Around isa pre-trip visual inspection that provides the driver an opportunity to 1) check on the vehicle’s condition, 2) assess the safety of the surrounding area, and 3) identify potential safety hazards or obstructions near or around the vehicle.
When conducting a Vehicle 360 Walk Around, you aren’t just checking to make sure the vehicle is in good condition; you are also assessing the surrounding area to confirm it is safe for you to drive.
A 360 Vehicle Walk Around may sometimes be referred to as a Circle of Safety check. Some organizations use the term Circle of Safety when referring to a quick check around the outside of a vehicle before attempting to drive in reverse, specifically to prevent backing accidents.
If you are required or requested to perform a 360 Walk Around or a Circle of Safety check always confirm the requirements of the assessment.
A Vehicle 360 Walk Around requires drivers and operators to walk in a complete circle around their vehicle or equipment to ensure that the entire area is clear and free of hazards.
A 360 Walk Around works for all types of vehicles from small utility carts to fleet vehicles to large commercial vehicles and heavy equipment.
When conducting a Vehicle 360 Walk Around you are literally making a full circle by walking all the way around the vehicle.
- Check the clearances to the front, back, sides, and above.
- Look for obstructions and confirm the path is clear.
- Notice if there are any pedestrians in the area.
- Check the tires for damage or excessive wear.
- Look under the vehicle and around the wheel wells.
A Vehicle 360 Walk Around is conducted before every drive. Some organizations may also require a quick circle of safety check before backing into a parking space or work area. An additional walk around may be recommended after each drive to ensure the vehicle is safe for the next trip or use.
During the Vehicle 360 Walk Around, you are looking at the surrounding area, next to and under the vehicle, as well as the vehicle itself. You are scanning for anything that could pose a hazard as you start your drive or equipment operation.
Things to look for might include:
- Debris on the ground
- Obstructions near the vehicle
- Other vehicles or traffic
- Pedestrians and walkways
- Uneven or soft ground
- Overhead hazards
- Nearby structures
- Holes, curbs, and drop-offs
- Gates, barriers, or pillars
- Security risks
- Fluid leaks or spills
- Animals or wildlife
- Sharp objects like nails or screws
- Damage to the vehicle
- Tire tread and pressure
- Tailgate and compartments closed
- Cargo is secure
- Trailer is connected properly
Why is it important to do a Vehicle 360 Walk Around before every drive?
Everyone is busy and it’s easy to be distracted as we are transitioning from one place to the next and we hop in our vehicle in a rush.
Conducting a walk around before every drive forces the driver to take a pause and think about what’s going on around them and the safety of the drive ahead.
Things can change in the time you were away from the vehicle. Pedestrian activity can increase, damage can happen to the vehicle, weather conditions can worsen, animals can crawl under the vehicle, or there may be a safety hazard nearby that you didn’t notice before.
If you were working with items you pulled from your vehicle, its even more important to take the time to ensure everything is safely onboard, closed, latched, and secure before driving off. Loads may need to be redistributed, and ratchet straps may need to be tightened.
Examples of questions that you might be asking during aVehicle 360 Walk Around:
Is there any visible damage or excessive wear to any of the tires?
Are there any low to the ground obstructions like barriers, fire hydrants, landscaping, rocks, curbs, tools, etc.? Any obstructions covered by snow that you can’t easily see?
Are there any children or pedestrians in the area?
Is the loaded material and equipment secure? Tailgate and compartments are closed?
Are there any fluid leaks under the vehicle?
If the vehicle is pulling a trailer, is it hooked up and latched properly?
Is there any damage to the vehicle that you didn’t notice previously? Is there any damage to the vehicle that could be a safety concern while driving?
Is everything inside secured so there are no projectile hazards if there is a sudden stop?
Are the windows and mirrors clean and allow full visibility?
Has anything accidentally been left out like a safety cone or a thermos?
When the vehicle is started, are there any warning lights that appear?
Is there anything at all around, near, under, on, above, orin the vehicle that could be a safety hazard once the vehicle is in motion?
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