Soon, many truckers in the San Francisco area will be required to participate in a new safety training program as part of the city’s “Vision Zero” campaign.
Training Video To Prepare Drivers For San Francisco’s Unique Challenges
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency plans to implement the Large Vehicle Urban Driving Safety Program, which will consist of a free training video designed to help drivers understand the unique challenges of navigating the city’s steep hills and active pedestrian population. The video, which was created after the SFMTA surveyed hundreds of area truckers, is designed to prepare truck drivers for dealing with people on foot distracted by cell phones or headphones, bike riders who are confused about bike lanes, and pedestrians who do not follow traffic guidelines.
Many Truck Drivers Will Be Required To Participate In New Training
All drivers who work for the city will be required to take the training. Additionally, the SFMTA says that “contractors with the SFMTA will be required to have any of their large vehicle drivers who drive in San Francisco either view the training video, or be trained in a manner that meets the training standards posted on this page.” UPS and FedEx has also agreed to have their drivers participate in the training program.
The Vision Zero program, which hopes to completely eliminate all traffic deaths by 2024, follows similar efforts made by cities like New York and countries like Sweden, which has reported record low road fatalities.
Only 4% of traffic collisions in San Francisco involve trucks or heavy vehicles, but they are involved in 17% of fatalities.
Check out this video below to watch the California Highway Patrol crackdown on motorists making common mistakes as part of the Vision Zero program.
Sources:
CBS San Francisco
Next City
The Economist
SFMTA