Trucking: Doing our part to keep the roads safe
With warmer temperatures and longer days, more people will be outside and on the roads during the summer months. This past Memorial Day weekend there were record high numbers of drivers hitting the road as Americans celebrated the unofficial start of the summer season. National Safety Month, observed annually during the month of June, reminds us of the personal responsibility we have when sharing the road during the busy summer travel season.
National Safety Month was founded to reduce the leading causes of injury and death in our country, including on the road. According to the National Safety Council, every seven seconds someone is injured, and every 15 minutes someone is killed, because of a car crash. More than 90 percent of car crashes caused by human error. Sadly, far too many of these injuries and tragic deaths are preventable with the three biggest causes of death resulting from alcohol, speeding and distracted driving.
To make the roads safer for all of us, the trucking industry helps educate the motoring public on safe driving tips. Our 3.5 million professional truck drivers are well-trained on the latest driver safety techniques and technology. High safety standards are also a priority throughout the industry with the industry spending at least $9.5 billion annually on safety technology.
Earlier this year, TMAF and our industry mascot, Safety Sammy, shared safety tips for drivers sharing the road with truckers on NBC in Kentucky. You can watch the segment below. ATA’s Share the Road program recently shared safety tips for drivers during National Work Zone Awareness Week.
Safety is so important to our industry, which is why we celebrate drivers with excellent safety records. Many of our elite drivers have earned millions of accident-free miles and we recognize these road safety leaders through awards such as Truckload Carriers Association’s Fleet Safety Awards, Pilot Flying J’s Road Warrior program and ATA’s National Truck Driving Championships.
This spring, drivers from across the country participated in state competitions for a chance to advance to the National Truck Driving Championships in August. One of this year’s competitors vying for the title of Grand Champion is Gary Luster, a FedEx Freight driver from Tennessee. Gary, 30-year veteran of the industry, is a first-time winner at the state level, which is an exciting accomplishment for him.
Individual companies within the industry also celebrate their drivers and staff through their own safety award events.
Safety is prioritized and celebrated throughout our industry and we like to help emphasize the importance of safety during busy travel seasons and year-round. We each share a personal responsibility to safety while sharing the road. Please remember that when we’re behind the wheel, we must all remain calm and focused, and operate responsibly and at safe speeds and distances to keep ourselves and our families, as well as those driving next to us, safe.
