When my oldest son turned 15 I knew I was in trouble because it meant time for Driver’s Ed. Well my youngest son just turned 15 in April so here we go again. Why am I discussing Driver’s Ed? Because I think there is something very important that all high schools AND driving schools should include in their courses. Safety awareness around big trucks!
I was very curious when I took my oldest to school on a summer morning when he had Driver’s Ed. Why? Because there was a Wal-Mart truck parked in the middle of the parking lot with all these signs, arrows, cars, people, and even measurements marked off. I thought maybe there was some sort of big truck training going on and didn’t give it a second thought.
By this time, my boys had already known all about blind spots because believe it or not we have literally made them sit in the seat of our truck and look in the mirrors so they could see or not see things. So when my son got home that day he was very excited to share that Wal-Mart was actually there teaching the kids to be safe around big trucks! Can you imagine that? I thought it was so cool!
He said that they walked all around the truck and trailer and had objects set up to show the blind spots of drivers. Once the kids walked around the truck and saw the parked cars (as in comparison where they would be on the road in a blind spot) they had the kids get in the driver’s seat to realize that even though they had physically just seen a car next to the truck that once they were in that seat they could NOT see the car anymore. Then they had a few cars set up with the measurements of the stopping distances of a truck compared to that of a car.
I think they should require something like this in driving schools as well. Maybe, just maybe there would be a few more four wheelers out there that would be a little more aware of the big trucks and be just a little kinder to them.
Companies preach safety to their drivers, we tell our loved ones in the big trucks to be safe, but does anyone ever tell people to be careful around big truck drivers when the seasons change, school lets out, etc.? Nope - does not happen. So why not teach them these things while they are young? Maybe it will get thru to them. I know it did my boys.
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I think it’s a great idea! We all complain four-wheelers have no idea we cant see them,and carriers talk a bunch about their safety programs, but why isnt there an organised effort (other than the ’share the road’ safety zone trailers) by the ATA to provide this as a service to every driver ed class? I’m sure they could convince the major carriers to donate a tractor-trailer and driver for a very few hours to do this. The cost would be minimal-mostly just organisational costs and the development of a set curriculum-not hard to do. It would be a highly-visible means of improving the image of trucking and actually contribute to safety far more than many of the ‘efforts’ they push.
A sad fact about drivers ed is that fewer and fewer kids have the opportunity to take it. It’s no longer included in the free (tax-supported) curriculum at most schools in my area-parents have to come up with the cash to send their teen to a commercial driving school-otherwise, they dont get training and cant get their license til they’re eighteen. This is cost-prohibitive to low-income and single parents and puts the kid who needs it most in the situation of not being able to drive to a job. I believe it separates these kids into a disadvantaged class from the beginning.I dont know what we can do about that.
Well said! The mean cowboy in the big Petercar should be a least over. Four wheelers are unbelivably stupid around other cars, let alone 60ft of dangerous momentum!As proffesionals we should take it upon ourselves to be safe and watch for the dummies trying to get killed!
I know I give drivers ed to everybody I know.Its great to get someone to park the mini van in front of my tractor
then show that they can not even see it from the drivers seat.I had on school ask if they could bring the drivers ed car up after I had a brother in laws friends son get in my tractor an he talked about it in drivers ed.So want do you do?
[...] May 10, 2008, LINDA SUNKLE-PIERUCKI [...]
Interesting, I never knew your learnt driving in school over there in the states. Over the pond you need to be 17 to drive.