Highway Safety Leaders Demo Measures to Save Lives on Florida Highways
National Share the Road Safety Tour Visits Ft. Myers to Save Lives on Florida Highways On a typical day as many as 82,000 vehicles travel I-75 through Ft. Myers. Most automobile drivers are not aware of what they can do to avoid crashes with tractor-trailers. Who: The American Trucking Associations (ATA), the Florida Motor Carrier Compliance Office, AAA South, and the Florida Trucking Association. What: A demonstration of highway safety measures for saving lives on area roads will be conducted for local news media, including "ride-alongs" in tractor-trailers, as part of the national Share the Road safety tour visiting Ft. Myers, FL. When: Thursday, February 23, 2006, 10:00 AM Where: State Law Enforcement Complex, Page Field, 4700 Terminal Dr., Ft. Myers, FL (see driving directions below.) Summary: Professional truck drivers with millions of miles of accident- free driving, ATA, law enforcement officials, and others, will demonstrate safety measures critical to saving lives on Florida highways. A static demonstration with simulated highway lanes will show how cars and trucks get into crashes. A professional truck driver will provide truck ride-alongs for news reporters and photographers, providing tips on blind spots, driving in construction zones, and stopping and following distances. This safety advice is critical for Ft. Myers drivers because: * Around three quarters of all truck-involved fatalities are inadvertently initiated by car drivers (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration). * 35% of all truck-involved highway fatalities occur in a truck's blind spots (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration). * Watching this demonstration will help reduce accidents and save lives. Directions: From Fowler ST. turn left onto N. Airport Rd. then right onto Terminal Drive. From I-75 take Exit 136, Colonial Blvd. going west, and then go left onto Fowler, left onto N. Airport, and right onto Terminal Dr. About Share the Road: Share the Road (http://www.atastr.org/), 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 all drivers about sharing the roads safely with trucks. The safety program, sponsored by Mack Trucks, Inc., Chevron Delo and Michelin North America, Inc., is presented by an elite team of professional truck drivers with millions of miles of accident-free driving on America's highways. Tractor-trailers provided by Mack Leasing Systems and GE Trailer Fleet Services
PRNewswire -- Feb. 23