LOST CREEK, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s Division of Freight, Transit, and Heavy Vehicle Safety has been traveling through the Mid-Atlantic region, showcasing its “Sharing the Road with Trucks” program.
Earlier this week, the Institute visited Bridgeport and Robert C. Byrd High Schools, and on Thursday, it stopped by South Harrison High School (SHHS).
While visiting SHHS, the program taught two separate Drivers Education classes about safety on the roadways when driving around tractor-trailers, or other large trucks. They started out with a presentation inside the classroom, where Scott Tidwell, Sr. Field Research Technician, told the class about the five key strategies. They include:
- “No zones” – Staying clear of these zones while driving the best that you can
- Properly passing trucks – How to not linger, and to pass trucks appropriately and safely for all drivers
- Do not cut it short – Not cutting people off or entering the front “no zone.” If a driver does cut a truck driver off, keep in mind that it can take a football field or longer for a tractor-trailer to come to a stop.
- Do not get squeezed – Lingering in a “no zone” can result in drivers getting “squeezed”
- Maintaining a safe following distance – How far to stay back from these trucks
Within the presentation of the five key strategies, pictures and videos of passenger vehicles doing things they should not do were shown to the students. These videos and photos were shown to teach students what drivers did wrong in certain scenarios, and how they can be extremely dangerous if you are not aware.
After the presentation, students were taken outside, where there were two stations set up for them to rotate through. Both groups of five took turns, one started at a tractor-trailer that was set up with vehicles in their “no zones.” Those students got to see what it looks like from the truck driver’s point of view, by glancing through the side mirrors and front windshield.
During the second station, a Public Service Commission officer spoke about what they see on a daily basis and what they do to keep the trucks safe. He also showed how far back your car should be from a tractor-trailer for you to no longer be in its “no zone.”
According to Tidwell, the Institute’s research showed that 80% of crashes and close calls between a large truck and a light vehicle were the faults of the person driving the light vehicle.
When asked by a 12 News reporter why it is important to give the students this hands-on experience, Tidwell said, “It’s a huge eye opener when these students get into the driver’s seat of the truck, and they can see first hand for themselves how big these no zones or blind spots are around a tractor-trailer.” He added that the passenger side of the truck is the most dangerous, and it can be three lanes wide that the truck driver cannot see. The rear of the truck’s no zone can extend from 200 feet behind the tractor-trailer which cannot be seen.
Since 2018, the program has reached over 21,000 driver education students. This school year alone, the program has made it to 15 schools in West Virginia, out of its total of 74 schools. Sara Lechner-Allman, a driver’s education teacher at SHHS, mentioned that she hopes to bring the Institute back in the Fall for her new semester of students.
For more information or to schedule a presentation and demonstration for your school, please email [email protected] or visit the Institute’s website.
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