Washington – The American Trucking Associations’ Share the Road program attended the Indiana State Police Camp in partnership with Indiana State Police and Indiana Motor Truck Association for the second year in a row. American Trucking Associations’ Share the Road Program conducted a highway safety demonstration across two sessions in Anderson and Columbus, Indiana.
Share the Road million-mile accident-free professional truck drivers Glen Kirk, Old Dominion Freight Line, Jeff Rose, and Rich Frazer, Yellow, spoke to students ranging from 12 – 18 years old about blind spots, safe following distances, merging, the importance of safety belts, distracted driving, safe driving behaviors, and how to Share the Road with trucks.
“It was a fantastic opportunity to speak with these students,” said Share the Road professional truck driver Jeff Rose of Yellow. “The students were engaged with the material and animated to learn about a career in trucking. It is crucial to get these messages out when students are young, so they can develop safe driving habits.”
In addition, they conducted a full blind spot demonstration using the Share the Road tractor-trailer, getting the opportunity to climb into the driver’s seat to experience firsthand what a professional truck driver can and cannot see while operating a large commercial vehicle. Using ATA’s award-winning Share the Road instructional video, the professional drivers led a classroom safe driving course for all students.
"ATA has always said YES when we ask them to partner with us on this program," said Gary Langston, President, Indiana Motor Truck Association. "It’s a lot of fun for the kids and for us. We enjoy finding out how many truck drivers they may personally know and what their perspective is regarding the trucking industry. They are never short of questions. We appreciate ISP for asking us to come back every year to talk about our industry."
Fred Fakkema, Chairman of the ATA’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board spoke on the event, stating, “As a former trooper, I can personally attest to the value of strong partnerships between law enforcement and the trucking industry. The Indiana State Police Department’s partnership with the Indiana Motor Truck Association and the American Trucking Associations is a model of cooperation between industries and a force multiplier for improving highway safety. ATA’s Share the Road initiative effectively leverages these partnerships and the collective expertise of our nation’s professional truck drivers and law enforcement officials to make our roadways safe for all Americans.”
Share the Road is a highway safety program of the American Trucking Associations. Million-mile accident-free professional truck drivers deliver specific life-saving safety tips to the public, the media, and our public officials through television, radio, the web and in print. The program has conducted demonstrations and spoke on safe driving practices at a variety of events from driving education classes and schools to auto shows and state fairs. The goal is to reach as many people as possible and change driving behavior to save lives. With the generous sponsorship from Mack Trucks and supporters, ATA can continue this highly effective highway safety program.