Share the Road Safely in Richmond

Professional Truck Drivers Offer Safe Driving Tips

RICHMOND, Va., March 19 -- Over 136,000 vehicles travel I-95 through Richmond each day. With so many vehicles on the highways, it's more important than ever that motorists learn to share the road safely with large trucks and other commercial vehicles.

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 20th, professional truck drivers, Bill Mayhew -- with 28 years of experience and over 2.6 million accident-free miles, and Melvin McCargo -- with 18 years of experience and over 1.5 million 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. Mayhew and McCargo will also provide tips on safe merging techniques, and stopping and following distances on Thursday morning at ABF Freight System, Inc. The American Trucking Associations (ATA), Mack Trucks and the Virginia 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: www.atasharetheroad.com

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

  WHEN:     Thursday, March 20th, 10:00 AM

  WHERE:    ABF Freight System, Inc., 6810 Hull Street, Richmond, VA
            Directions:  Take I-95 to Rt. 150 North -- Chippenham Parkway.
            Then take Rt. 360 West for 1/4 mile.  The ABF terminal is on the
            right.

  WHO:      Bill Mayhew, ATA's 2000 America's Road Team Captain, ABF Freight
            System, Inc., Cincinnati, OH

            Melvin McCargo, Professional Truck Driver, ABF Freight System,
            Inc., Richmond, VA

            Trooper Carl Briggs, Virginia State Police, Motor Carrier Safety
            Section, Richmond, VA

            Debra Wood-Whittington, Director of Safety, Virginia Trucking
            Association, Richmond, VA

            Ellen Serrano, American Trucking Associations, Alexandria, VA

Tractor-trailers provided by Mack dealer, Virginia Truck Center, Inc., and ABF Freight System, Inc.