Young Drivers Benefit from America’s Road Team’s Million-Mile Driving Experience
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Reller
Oct. 21, 2008 (703) 838-1896
ARLINGTON, Va. – Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year-olds in America and a team of million mile accident-free drivers are helping to make teens safer during National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 19 to 25, 2008.
America’s Road Team Captains, elite professional truck drivers chosen by the American Trucking Associations, are offering teen drivers advice based on their years of experience.
- Pay Attention – Looking away for even 2 seconds doubles the chances of an accident.
- Allow a Safety Cushion – Look 1/4 mile ahead for a safe path. Leave yourself an out.
- Slow Down – Chances of a crash nearly triples when driving faster than surrounding traffic.
- Large Trucks Have Blindspots - If you can't see the truck driver in his or her mirrors, then the truck driver can’t see you.
- Buckle Up – Safety belts are not a fashion statement – they save lives.
- Stay Off Your Cell Phone – Talking and texting leads to trouble on the road.
- Abide by Traffic Rules – Follow the traffic sign and signals.
- Do Not Cut in Front of Large Trucks – Remember that trucks are heavier and take longer to make a complete stop, so avoid cutting quickly in front of them.
- Be Careful Backing Up – One in four preventable collisions involve backing up. Be sure to look before backing up; do a walk around your car prior to departure.
“It is important that all motorists remain focused on the task of driving and block out distractions when on the road,” said America’s Road Team Captain Rick Whittle, a professional driver for Bulldog Hiway Express with over 1.3 million accident-free miles. “This takes on even greater significance when a driver is inexperienced. Being alert and remembering the rules of the road will keep everyone safer on the highway.”
The America’s Road Team would like to remind the motoring public that from driveway to highway, safety requires patience and dedication.
The America's Road Team, sponsored by Volvo Trucks North America, is a national public outreach program led by a small group of professional truck drivers who share superior driving skills, remarkable safety records and a strong desire to spread the word about safety on the highway. www.americasroadteam.com
The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States.
The American Trucking Associations has led the campaign for rigorous safety laws that affect every driver on the nation’s highways. ATA’s overall safety agenda includes greater education on sharing the road with large trucks, increased traffic enforcement for all vehicles that operate unsafely around large trucks, the adoption of primary safety belt laws in all states, and reinstatement of a national maximum speed limit of 65 mph for all vehicles. ATA also supports limiting truck speeds at the time of manufacture.