Life-saving highway driving tips were presented today as part of the American Trucking Associations' national Share the Road highway safety tour by top professional truck drivers.The Denver Auto Show provided the perfect backdrop for the elite group of million mile accident-free drivers to share their message of road safety. According to the Colorado State Patrol, 534 lives were lost as a result of traffic crashes in Colorado during 2006.
The Denver, Colo., Share the Road stop demonstrated to drivers how to share the road safely with large trucks and is presented in conjunction with the Colorado Motor Carriers Association. The presentation will continue through Sunday evening, with drivers available for interviews in the cab of the truck or in studio.
"Denver is a great city and we are glad to be here to help educate motorists on how to safely drive around tractor-trailers," said Tim Dean, a professional truck driver from Werner Enterprises. "With Denver being a major transportation hub, there is quite a bit of traffic. Hopefully drivers can take the tips we give today and use them to drive a little more aware and arrive home safely."
Featured at today's event were professional truck drivers Tim Dean (Werner Enterprises), Frank Silio (Covenant Transport), Paul Gattin (ABF Freight System) and Clarence Jenkins (UPS Freight). Those drivers are members of an elite team of million-mile, accident-free truck drivers who deliver the trucking industry's safety messages across the country.
Gattin told attendees and reporters at the event that, "Share the Road allows me as a truck driver to give people life-saving advice. Most automobile drivers were never taught what they can do to avoid an accident with a tractor-trailer. By being aware of the blind spots around trucks, all drivers can more easily avoid crashes. This information, and other safety advice, will help everyone to share the roads safely."
Today's presentation of Share the Road safety measures is important to Colorado motorists because:
*51 Colorado motorists were involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer in 2006 (Colorado State Patrol).
*35 percent of all truck-involved highway fatalities occur in a truck's blind spots (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration).
*According to three different studies - including the AAA Traffic Safety Foundation and DOT, 3 out of 4 truck-involved fatalities are unintentionally initiated by car drivers.
The safety demonstration today at the Denver Auto Show will continue through Sun., with special arrangements available for media interviews through Sunday night. Reporters will be able to view the road from the truck driver's perspective, and learn up close and personal some of the differences between how cars and large trucks operate on the highways. Today's demonstration was designed to teach specific skills to motorists in order to drive safely around other automobiles and around trucks and large commercial vehicles on the highways, and to arrive safely at their destinations.
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