Nebraska Safety Leaders Offer Safe Driving Tips

Nebraska State Patrol Teams with AAA and Truck Drivers to Teach Motorists

               Mack Trucks Sponsored Share the Road Program

As many as 166,000 vehicles travel I-80 through Omaha each day. With so many vehicles on the highways, it's more important than ever that motorists and drivers of large trucks learn to share the road safely.

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 October 23rd, professional truck drivers, Herb McArthur -- with 8 years of experience and over 850,000 accident-free miles, and Dan Hiser -- with 40 years of experience and over 4 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.

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

  WHEN:   Thursday, October 23rd, 10:00 AM

  WHERE:  Werner Enterprises, Inc., 14507 Frontier Road, Omaha, NE
          Directions: From I-80 West take exit 440 to Rt. 50 South.  Take a
          right onto Frontier Road.

  WHO:    Herb McArthur, ATA's 2003 America's Road Team Captain, Werner
          Enterprises, Inc., Winter Springs, FL

          Dan Hiser, ATA's 2001 America's Road Team Captain, ABF Freight
          System, Inc., Jacksonville, AR

          Lt. Gerry Krolikowski, Nebraska State Patrol, Lincoln, NE

          Captain Mike Jones, Nebraska State Patrol, Lincoln, NE

          Rose White, Public Affairs Director, AAA Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

          Fred Zwonechek, Administrator, Nebraska Office of Highway Safety,
          Lincoln, NE

          Alma Vlasak, Safety Investigator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety
          Administration, Lincoln, NE

          Kay Farrell, President CEO, National Safety Council Greater Omaha
          Chapter, Omaha, NE

          Mike Hybl, President, Nebraska Trucking Association, Lincoln, NE

          Ellen Serrano, American Trucking Associations, Alexandria, VA

          Tractor-trailers provided by Mack dealer, Wise Mack, Inc.,
          Werner Enterprises, Inc., and ABF Freight System, Inc.

PRNewswire -- Oct. 22