In an initiative to keep teenagers safe behind the wheel, The American Trucking Association is bringing truck drivers into the classroom, showing students exactly how to react to trucks on the road.
As part of the “Share the Road” Highway Safety Program, this week truck driver David May not only talked about how to drive around a truck while in transit, but he let students inside the cab to see what it looks like from a truck driver’s perspective.
“They think everything is clear,” he said. “Then they get out, and see the car in that spot. All of the sudden, the lights go on, everything clicks, and they say ‘Wow, this is something that I have to prepare for,'” he said.
This education comes at a critical time when, according to The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 35 percent of all truck-involved highway deaths happen in a truckers blind spot.
Although driving around semis is inevitable for any driver, teens are the most susceptible to accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car crashes are the No. 1 cause of teen deaths, killing an estimated 2,800 teenagers every year.
More demonstrations from ATA drivers are scheduled in the future, with the next one at Skyview High School on Wednesday, and West High School on Thursday.
Source: www.kulr8.com
