Share the Road Safety Act

Summary

This Act provides increased safety instruction of young driver education programs by raising the awareness of all motor vehicle drivers on how to share the road/highway with large trucks. This legislation requires the inclusion of a section on awareness and safe interaction with commercial motor vehicle traffic in public school, private school, and commercial driver training schools.  Classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training must include, but is not limited to: truck stopping distances, proper distances for following trucks, identification of truck blind spots, and avoidance of driving in truck blind spots.

Share the Road Safety Act

Share the Road Safety Act

Section 1. {Title, enacting clause, etc}  This act shall be known as the “Share the Road Safety Act”.

Section 2. {Legislative Declaration}

(A) Three different studies – including the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the U.S. Department of Transportation, have found that truck-involved fatalities are, more often than not, unintentionally initiated by the automobile drivers. (Approximately 75% for the passenger car driver vs. 25% for the CMV driver)[1]

(B) Share the Road Driver Training has the potential to save lives and reduce crashes that are caused because people don’t know the limitations of large trucks and how to drive safely near or around them.

(C) Share the Road Driver Training provides specific information on how crashes happen and how to avoid them.

(D)  Share the Road Driver Training provides essential education to all drivers on truck braking capabilities and blind spots and explains how to avoid driving in a truck blind spot.

(E) Share the Road Driver Training reaches new drivers at a young age ensuring that they develop safe driving habits early.

(F) Share the Road Driver Training teaches new drivers techniques to safely interact with large trucks such as; safe following distances, proper merging, defensive driving, and avoiding blind spots.

(G) Share the Road education changes and improves driving habits and in turn saves lives.

(H) Safety information can be found and downloaded, free of charge, from The American Trucking Association.  This includes, but is not limited to, guidelines for motorists, safety driving tips, a quiz, as well as a downloadable brochure and instructional DVD.

Section 3. {Share the Road Program}

(A) All driver education classes, including behind-the-wheel training will include instruction on sharing the road with large trucks. Classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training shall include, but is not limited to truck stopping distances, proper distances for following trucks, identification of truck blind spots, and avoidance of driving in truck blind spots.

Section 4. {Severability Clause}

Section 5. {Repealer Clause}

Section 6. {Effective Date}

 Approved by the ALEC Board of Directors on September 19, 2010.

Approved by ALEC Board of Directors on September 3, 2019.