As North America’s Safest Fleet, Bison Transport has a great deal of safe driving knowledge. Because being safe is important for all types of drivers, we are taking this opportunity to share our knowledge with the general motoring public.
Several years ago, Bison created a course called “Let’s Bring Safety Home" which has now been delivered to over 300 of our non-driving staff and their families. The course was specifically designed to educate novice and non-truck drivers about road safety around trucks.
Bison is committed to ensuring every driver makes it home safely, which is why we have since adapted the previous course and created the “9 Essentials Of Sharing The Road Safely With Trucks”. These tips are ideal to share with all drivers, especially 'soon to be' drivers, so everyone is well informed on how to share the road safely with trucks.
Here is a quick story about why knowing these 9 Essentials is so important.
I am a Driver Development Instructor at Bison Transport, and some years ago I was driving a tractor-trailer in the annual Winnipeg Santa Clause Parade. I was excited because I was allowed to bring my son Jack along as a passenger. He was 13 years old at the time and was just a few years away from getting his own Driver’s Licence. My son thought it was cool because he had never been in the cab of a semi-truck before. I wanted to make sure he understood the challenges of driving a vehicle of this size. I also wanted him to see first-hand what the habits of car drivers are like from the high-up cab of an 18-wheeler.
During the course of the day, I reflected on my own teenage driving experiences and wondered how many times I had put myself and truck drivers in dangerous situations before I knew better. I specifically remember being sixteen and trying to pass a truck on the right before an intersection, when the tractor-trailer moved across my lane to make a right turn. Thankfully I was able to stop in time! Knowing the “No Zone” would have saved me from putting myself and the truck driver in a dangerous situation.
Jack was quick to make comments and ask questions. “Wow”, he exclaimed, “Do cars always cut in front of you like that when you are slowing for stop at a light?” I told him it happens a lot, and many people don’t realize how heavy a truck can be, and how long it can take to stop. This is just one of the many situations that my son - and all drivers – need to learn about to be able to share the roads safely with trucks.
Jack attended the “Let’s Bring Safety Home” course at Bison Transport and found it very helpful. Fast forward several years, Jack is now 18 and has become a very safe and attentive driver! Please share these 9 Essential Tips to help the general motoring public get home safely - each and every time.
Do you have any tips that you can share that would help a car driver share the road more safely with trucks? Please comment below.
