ATA and AAA Demo Safety Measures for Connecticut Drivers
Share the Road Program Visits Hartford to
Save Lives on Connecticut Highways
As Many As 166,000 Vehicles Travel I-84 Through Hartford Each Day.
Most Automobile Drivers Were Never Taught What They Can Do to
Avoid Initiating an Accident With a Tractor-Trailer.
Who: Professional truck drivers, the American Trucking
Associations (ATA), AAA Allied Group, Inc., the Connecticut
State Police, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles -
Commercial Vehicle Safety Division, and the Connecticut
Motor Transport Association.
What: A demonstration of highway safety measures will be conducted
for local news media, including "ride-alongs" in tractor-
trailers, as part of the national Share the Road tour
visiting Hartford, CT.
When: Wednesday, September 29th, 10:00 AM
Where: Home Depot Plaza, 503 New Park Avenue, West Hartford, CT
06110 (see driving directions below.)
Summary: Professional truck drivers with millions of miles of
accident-free driving, ATA, AAA Hartford, and state law
enforcement representatives, will demonstrate safety
measures critical to saving lives on Connecticut's highways.
A static demonstration with simulated highway lanes will
show how cars and trucks get into accidents. A professional
truck driver will provide truck ride-alongs for news
reporters and photographers for tips on blind spots, safe-
merging techniques, and stopping and following distances.
The safety advice is critical for Connecticut's drivers
because:
* 35% of all truck-involved highway fatalities occur in a
truck's blind spots (FMCSA)*
* Up to 75% of all truck-involved fatalities are
inadvertently initiated by car drivers (AAA Foundation for
Traffic Safety)
* Watching this demonstration will help reduce accidents
Directions: From Hartford take I-84 West to Exit 45, Flatbush Avenue.
Turn right onto Flatbush Avenue and then left onto New Park
Avenue.
About Share the Road:
Share the Road
(http://www.truckline.com/safetynet/howtodrive/index.html),
is a highway safety program that delivers life-saving
messages to hundreds of U.S. cities and reaches millions of
motorists annually, designed to educate automobile drivers
about sharing the roads safely with trucks. The program,
sponsored by Mack Trucks, Inc., is presented by members of
America's Road Team, a team of professional truck drivers
with millions of miles of accident-free driving on America's
highways.
Tractor trailers provided by Gabrielli Truck Center
(Mack dealer) and Fed Ex. Ground, Inc.
*As quoted by the FMCSA