Professional Truck Drivers Offer Highway Safety Tips for Labor Day Holiday

Share the Road Professional Drivers Provide Life Saving Advice

ARLINGTON, Va.--Sept. 1, 2011: This Labor Day weekend millions of drivers will take to the highway for one final summer getaway, making it one of the busiest holiday travel weekends of the year.

A group of elite professional truck drivers with millions of accident-free miles are offering advice on how to navigate through highway traffic and arrive at your destination safely. Tips include:

• Prepare your vehicle for long distance travel: Check your wipers and fluids. Have your radiator and cooling system serviced. Simple maintenance can prevent many of the problems that strand motorists on the side of the road before they leave home.
• Plan ahead: Before you get on a highway, know your exit by name and number and watch the signs as you near the off-ramp. Drivers making unexpected lane changes to exit often cause accidents.
• Do not cut in front of large trucks:  Remember that trucks are heavier and take longer to make a complete stop, so avoid cutting quickly in front of them.
• Do not drive through standing water:  Look out for standing water and avoid driving through it. Often the water is deeper than you think and it can cause your engine to stall, possibly trapping you in rising water. More than half of hurricane deaths typically result from inland flooding and many of those are people who drown in cars. The water could also be hiding large potholes or you could lose contact with the road and control of your steering.
• Use a map or GPS: Surprisingly, few motorists plan their routes even when driving through unfamiliar areas. Knowing the road is essential for safe driving - it allows you to anticipate lane changes and avoid a panicked search for directions.
• Leave early and avoid risks:  Leave early and allow for delays in your travel schedule. Know your limitations and don't drive when tired, upset, or physically ill.
• Be aware of truck blindspots:  When sharing the road with large trucks, be aware of their blind spots. If you can't see the truck driver in his or her mirrors, then the truck driver can't see you.

"Around Labor Day weekend, traffic increases as motorists seek that final summer trip," said Share the Road Professional Driver Kenny Lowry.  "With Hurricane Irene behind us, be cautious of standing water and trees and debris on the road," he added.

"Always buckle up," said Share the Road Professional Driver Allen Boyd.  "There is nothing better than patience and safe driving practices during this holiday weekend," Boyd added.

To see a video of Kenny and Allen providing tips for Labor Day driving, click here.

The Share the Road Professional Drivers would like to remind the motoring public that from driveway to highway, safety requires patience and dedication.

*Editors: Share the Road Professional Drivers are available to speak about Labor Day Weekend safe driving tips before and during the holiday weekend.

Share the Road is a highway safety outreach program of the American Trucking Associations that educates all drivers about sharing the roads safely with large trucks. An elite team of professional truck drivers with millions of accident-free miles deliver life-saving messages to millions of motorists annually. The safety program is sponsored by Mack Trucks, Inc. and Michelin North America, Inc.  Follow the Share the Road on Twitter and Facebook.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight.

The American Trucking Associations has led the campaign for rigorous safety laws that affect every driver on the nation's highways. ATA's overall safety agenda includes greater education on sharing the road with large trucks, increased traffic enforcement for all vehicles that operate unsafely around large trucks, the adoption of primary safety belt laws in all states, and reinstatement of a national maximum speed limit of 65 mph for all vehicles. ATA also supports limiting truck speeds at the time of manufacture.