Commercial motor vehicle awareness campaign to run in August

Respect the Load. Share the Road. That’s the message motorist will be seeing across Missouri August 2-22 in a statewide campaign urging drivers to drive safely around large trucks and buses. In turn, commercial motor vehicle drivers will be reminded to obey traffic laws, use their seat belts, slow down and pay attention. 

“There were 130 people killed involving a CMV in 2020, with over 80 percent being drivers or passengers of other vehicles,” said Jon Nelson, Missouri Department of Transportation assistant to the state highway and traffic engineer. “Don’t risk your life by driving aggressively around big trucks and buses.”

Commercial motor vehicles make up 20 percent of Missouri’s interstate traffic, carry goods from coast to coast and are a vital part of our nation’s economy, according to MoDOT. They also provide critical services many Missourians rely on every day. When crashes involving CMVs happen, the disproportionate size of the large truck versus a car means those crashes can often involve serious injuries, or worse. Research shows that in most of these crashes, drivers of passenger cars unnecessarily endanger themselves by not paying attention and driving aggressively around CMVs. That’s why it’s so important for all motorists to drive safely around CMVs. Respect the Load. Share the Road. 

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety offers the following tips for driving safely around CMVs.

• Don’t cut off large trucks or buses. Make it is possible to see both of the truck’s cab lights in your rearview mirror before moving back into your original lane.
• Stay out of the “No Zone.” Large trucks and buses have large blind spots on either side and up to 200 feet behind a vehicle. Pass only on the left side.  Don’t linger in a blind spot.  Do not tailgate large trucks and buses.
• Watch the vehicle's following distance. Keep a safety cushion around large trucks.  Are the truck's side mirrors visible? If not, the driver cannot see the individual attempting to pass.
• Anticipate wide turns. Large trucks and buses need extra turning room.
• Be patient. Large trucks and buses accelerate slowly and may use speed limiters         

MoDOT continues to work toward a goal of zero roadway fatalities and urges all who travel in and around the Show-Me State this summer to buckle up, put the cellphone down, slow down and never drive while impaired. Whether driving through a work zone, sharing the road with motorcyclists or cruising around city streets with pedestrians in the area, slowing down and paying attention can help save lives.

For more information on commercial motor vehicle safety and Missouri’s new strategic highway safety plan, Show-Me Zero, and how everyone can participate, visit savemolives.com. www.savemolives.com. For more information, call MoDOT at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org.