Students at Parkersburg South High School recently got a lesson in road safety from an unexpected source — the cab of an 18-wheeler. A team of experts from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) visited the school as part of their "Sharing the Road with Trucks" program, an initiative designed to teach young drivers how to safely navigate the road alongside large commercial trucks.
The program covers critical safety topics such as avoiding a truck's blind spots (known as "No-Zones"), maintaining safe following distances, properly passing large vehicles, and how to avoid being squeezed during turns. Instructors use real-world scenarios and crash photos to drive home the very real dangers that can result from unsafe driving habits around large trucks.
Since its launch in 2017, the program has reached nearly 78,000 teen drivers through 551 high school visits, and has connected with over 21,000 community members through 80 events across 20 states and Washington, D.C.
While the curriculum is aimed at new and young drivers, VTTI emphasizes that all motorists can benefit from a refresher. "All drivers can benefit from reviewing the materials and scenarios," the program's website notes, "to ensure they are properly sharing the road in their everyday driving."
To learn more from VTTI's safety experts, visit https://cmvroadsharing.org.
