The Virginia Trucking Association is urging the 1.3 million Virginians expected to travel our highways over the Thanksgiving holiday to drive safely and follow several simple tips in order to keep this a safe and joyous holiday season.
Highway safety is a critical part of making sure everyone has a happy Thanksgiving celebration,” said Charlie Demchock, a driver with Walmart Transportation and an America’s Road Team Captain. “Drivers may have to deal with difficult weather conditions, heavy traffic, and many other problems, so we want to make sure everyone has the tools and information to get to their destinations safely.”
Tips for Thanksgiving travel include:
- Leave early and avoid risks: Leave early and allow for delays in your travel schedule. Know your limitations: don’t drive when tired, upset or physically ill.
- 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.
- Avoid extreme weather conditions: Ice, hail and snow make roads difficult to travel. Try to avoid driving through extreme weather conditions, and travel during daylight as much as possible.
- Remove ice and snow from your vehicle: Clear your windows and roof of snow to ensure you have maximum visibility and avoid creating a hazard for the vehicle behind you. Don’t allow ice and snow to create additional blind spots on your vehicle.
- 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 you leave your home.
- Buckle up: Safety belts are not a fashion statement – they save lives.
- Slow down: Chances of a crash nearly triple when driving faster than surrounding traffic. With winter weather conditions present, speeding becomes increasingly hazardous. Allow plenty of space around you as a cushion and reduce your speed.
- Abide by traffic rules: Follow traffic signs and signals, while paying special attention to work zones.
- Pay Attention: Distracted driving is a leading cause of crashes. Looking away for even two seconds doubles the chances of an accident. Turn cell phones and PDAs off.
- Be aware of trucks’ blind spots: 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.
- 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.
- Use hands-free mode on GPS/smartphone: If using a smart phone for GPS directions, make sure to plug in the route before starting the trip, then set the phone down and leave it in hands-free mode with voice direction activated. GPS directions are useful but it is important to avoid looking at the device while driving to prevent safety distractions.
ATA and America’s Road Team would like to remind the motoring public that from driveway to highway, safety requires patience, attention and determination, particularly around the holidays.
“Many of America’s truck drivers are far from home this holiday, so please keep them in your thoughts as you sit down around the Thanksgiving table with your friends and family,”ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said. “To those drivers – and to all of you who are traveling this holiday – please be safe on the highways.”
“This is a season where many professional drivers, including the ones that delivered an estimated 46 million turkeys for Thanksgiving, are away from home, so in addition to sharing the road safely, make sure you give them a little extra thought and thanks as you travel this year,” VTA President & CEO Dale Bennett said.
The Share the Road Professional Drivers would like to remind the motoring public that from driveway to highway, safety requires patience and dedication.
Support AFP
Share
Contributors
