Highway Safety Leaders Demo Safety Measures for Area Drivers

            National Share the Road Safety Tour Visits Phoenix
                      to Save Lives on Area Highways

On a typical day as many as 295,000 vehicles travel I-10 through Phoenix.
        Most automobile drivers are not aware of what they can do
                 to avoid crashes with tractor-trailers.

  Who:         State Senator Thayer Vershoor, State Representative Andy
               Biggs, the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, the Arizona
               Trucking Association, the American Trucking Associations, and
               the AZ Department of Public Safety.

  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 Phoenix, AZ.

  When:        Friday, April 28, 2006, 10:00 AM.

  Where:       Empire Southwest, 1725 South Country Club Drive, Mesa, AZ
               (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 area highways.  A static demonstration with
               simulated highway lanes will show how cars and trucks can 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 Arizona 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 I-10 East take US 60 to Country Club Exit South.  Turn
               Left onto Iron Ave.

  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 national 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.  In Arizona, a related program is sponsored by the
               Arizona Trucking Association under a grant from the
               Governor's Highway Safety Office.  ATA staff and volunteers
               make dozens of presentations each year at schools, safety
               fairs, seniors groups and other public venues to carry the
               "share the road" safety message.

               Tractor-trailer provided by Mack Leasing Systems and GE
               Trailer Fleet Services.