Share the Road Safely in Charlotte

Professional Truck Drivers Offer Safe Driving Tips

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 6 -- Over 159,000 vehicles travel I-77 through Charlotte each day. With so many vehicles on the highways, and construction zones north of Charlotte, it's more important than ever that motorists learn to share the road safely with large trucks and other commercial vehicles. Learn how professional truck drivers safely navigate these hazardous highway conditions.

In a highway scenario, professional truck drivers will demonstrate how to drive safely around tractor-trailers on local highways and provide a truck ride-along for reporters and photographers because:

  * 75% of all truck-related car fatalities are initiated by car drivers
  * 35% of all truck-related car fatalities occur in a truck's blind spots
  * Watching this demonstration will help reduce accidents

Most drivers were never taught how to share the road safely with trucks, nor do they understand that there are large blind spots around trucks where cars become "invisible." That's why on March 6th, professional truck drivers, Jenny Zinkel -- with 8 years of experience and over 700,000 accident-free miles, and Perry Mecum -- with 13 years of experience and over 750,000 accident-free miles, will give a safety demonstration and truck ride-along to teach motorists how to stay safe on our nation's highways.

To demonstrate a tractor-trailer's blind spots, cars and trucks will be placed in the front, rear and sides of the trucks -- and will "disappear" from the truck driver's view. Zinkel and Mecum will also provide tips on safe merging techniques, and stopping and following distances on Thursday morning at FedEx Ground. The American Trucking Associations (ATA), Mack Trucks and the North Carolina Trucking Association will sponsor the event.

The Share the Road program travels across America presenting safety demonstrations to the media in an effort to inform the public and save lives. Currently a partnership between the ATA and Mack Trucks, Inc., the program educates millions of motorists annually. For more information please see: http://www.atasharetheroad.com/

Rides will be available for the media immediately following the news conference

  WHEN:     Thursday, March 6th, 10:00 AM

  WHERE:    FedEx Ground, 6600 CSX Way, Charlotte, NC
            Directions:  From 85 S. take Freedom Drive, Exit 34. Go right.
            At second stoplight take a right onto Toddville Road.  The 3rd
            left is CSX Way.  Please sign in at the security gate.

  WHO:      Jenny Zinkel, ATA's 2001 America's Road Team Captain, FedEx
            Ground, Peoria, IL

            Perry Mecum, Professional Truck Driver, FedEx Ground,
            Charlotte, NC

            Captain Steve Newton, Troop H Commander, North Carolina State
            Highway Patrol, Monroe, NC

            Rick Cates, Director of Safety, North Carolina Trucking
            Association, Raleigh, NC

            Ellen Serrano, American Trucking Associations, Alexandria, VA

            Tractor-trailers provided by Mack dealer, Mack Truck Sales of
            Charlotte, Inc., and FedEx Ground.