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 Las Vegas 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 Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada ranks as a state with a top ten highest crash rate.
The Las Vegas, Nev. Share the Road stop demonstrated to drivers how to share the road safely with large trucks and follows the American Trucking Associations' annual conference held from Oct. 4-7 in Las Vegas. The presentation will continue through Sunday, with drivers available for interviews in the cab of the truck or in studio.
"It is an honor to be here in Las Vegas educating motorists on how to safely drive around tractor-trailers," said Mark Hassemer, a professional truck driver from YRC. "Nevada serves as a major freight corridor and sees a great deal 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 Manny Franco (UPS Freight), Mark Hassemer (YRC), Ron Hawkins (K-Limited Carriers) and Clarence Jenkins, Jr. (UPS Freight). These 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.
Hawkins 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 for motorists because:
Nevada fatal collisions increased 2.1 percent with 387 traffic deaths in 2006
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 Las Vegas Auto Show will continue through Sunday. 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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