Attention Albuquerqueians: Professional Truck Drivers To Offer Safe Driving Tips

Professional Truck Drivers Offer Safe Driving Tips

Mack Trucks Sponsored Share the Road Program

ALBUQUERQUE, Oct. 1 -- As many as 87,000 vehicles travel I-25 through Albuquerque 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 2nd, professional truck drivers, Jim Curtis -- with 29 years of experience and over 2.8 million accident-free miles, and Ruben Armendariz -- with 25 years of experience and over 2.5 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. Curtis and Armendariz will also provide tips on safe merging techniques, and stopping and following distances on Thursday morning at ABF Freight System, Inc.

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

  WHEN:   Thursday, October 2nd, 10:00 AM

  WHERE:  ABF Freight System, Inc., 4800 Lincoln Road, NE Albuquerque
          Directions:  From I-25 North take the Jefferson Exit.  Go straight
          at the light to Frontage Road.  Take the first right onto Lincoln
          Road.  The ABF terminal is on the right.

  WHO:    Ruben Armendariz, ATA's 2003 America's Road Team Captain, ABF
           Freight System, Inc., Albuquerque, NM

          Jim Curtis, ATA's 2001 America's Road Team Captain, ABF Freight
           System, Inc., Albuquerque, NM

          Captain Ron Cordova, New Mexico Motor Transportation Division,
           Dept. Public Safety, Santa Fe, NM

          John Francis, Division Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety
           Administration, Albuquerque, NM

          Vic Shepard, Managing Director, New Mexico Trucking Association,
           Albuquerque, NM

          Ellen Serrano, American Trucking Associations, Alexandria, VA

          Tractor-trailers provided by ABF Freight System, Inc.