Share the Road Attends Safety Event for Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day

News provided by

May 05, 2010, 11:00 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., May 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Share the Road is in Portland, Ore. today, speaking to the importance of highway safety during Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day. The Share the Road tractor-trailer served as a symbol of making safety a priority during a press conference with other highway safety partners, including the Oregon Department of Transportation, May Trucking Company and Jubitz Truck Stop. The North American Occupational Safety & Health Event was organized by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100129/ATALOGO)

As transportation crashes continue to be the number one cause of on-the-job deaths, the safety partners highlighted what can and is being done to prevent them. Motor vehicle crashes cost employers $60 billion every year in medical care, legal expenses, property damages and lost productivity.

The corporate, state, trucking and safety officials came together to discuss the numbers and lay out a plan on how to protect all drivers on our roads.

"These crashes are preventable," American Society of Safety Engineers' Columbia-Willamette Chapter President Lee Briney said. "Roadway construction is up and the summer travel season is just around the corner. We must all do our part to prevent roadway crashes."

Share the Road Professional Drivers Kurt Pederson, of Con-way Freight, and Ron VanBibber, of YRC, brought a combined 44 years and 3.15 million miles of accident-free driving experience to the event. They provided the perspective of veteran professional truck drivers and were able to provide tips on how to stay safe.

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. www.atastr.org

The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States. www.truckline.com

SOURCE American Trucking Associations