National Share the Road Highway Safety Program Returns to the Denver Auto Show

DENVER, April 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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.  

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Share the Road returned to the Denver Auto Show for the third straight year to educate motorists on highway safety. This is important because according to the Colorado Department of Transportation, 548 lives were lost as a result of traffic crashes in Colorado during 2008.

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.

"The Denver Auto Show is a great place to talk to motorists about highway safety," said Gary Leu, a professional truck driver for Wal-Mart Transportation. "Getting people up into the truck to experience the blindspots I see everyday – it makes a huge impression. Hopefully drivers will take our tips and use them to drive a little more aware and arrive home safely."

Featured at today's event were professional truck drivers Gary Leu (Wal-Mart Transportation), Kurt Pedersen (Con-way Freight), Ben Saiz (ABF Freight System) and Ron VanBibber (YRC). 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.  

Saiz 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."

Colorado Motor Carriers Association President Greg Fulton told reporters, "I'm excited to see the Share the Road safety program at the Denver Auto Show educating attendees on the differences professional truck drivers face on the highway. The trucking industry is an integral part of Colorado's economy, so educational programs like this are paramount to keeping everyone safe and keeping our goods and products moving."

Today's presentation of Share the Road safety measures is important to Colorado motorists because:

• 56 Colorado motorists were involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer in 2008 (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 throughout the show. 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.

Share the Road is a highway safety outreach program of the American Trucking Associations that educates all drivers about sharing the roads safely with large trucks. An elite team of professional truck drivers with millions of accident-free miles deliver life-saving messages to millions of motorists annually. The safety program is sponsored by Mack Trucks, Inc. and Michelin North America, Inc. www.atastr.org

SOURCE American Trucking Associations