To many Americans, summer means more vacationing and, typically, more road travel. As our roadways become more crowded, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Our Roads, Our Safety campaign helps keep the driving public safe, while honoring the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) industry’s essential role in keeping our economy and goods moving. This year’s launch comes at a critical time, as Americans are getting back on the road, traveling from coast to coast on busy interstate highways alongside hard-working CMV drivers.
Safety is a responsibility shared by both car drivers and CMV drivers, each having an equal role in achieving the goal of safer roads for all. The message is simple: car drivers need to understand that large trucks and buses have huge blind spots, need more room to stop, and make wide turns. At the same time, CMV drivers need to stay aware of these unique safety challenges while conducting business on the road, strive to anticipate issues or dangers, and signal to others sharing the road.
The National Safety Council notes:
- In 2017 alone, more than 13% of fatal crashes on our nation’s roadways involved a large truck or bus.
- Even more significant, despite fewer motor vehicle miles traveled in 2020 (13% fewer), the number of deaths on the roads spiked by 24%.
To combat these rising numbers, FMCSA is continuing its national outreach campaign to educate all road users on their shared responsibility in helping reduce preventable deaths and injuries. With a suite of new materials such as social media graphics, animations, and paid media assets, FMCSA is highlighting the importance of having a plan for safe driving, and emphasizing that drivers need to collaborate with each other.
Amplifying our safe driving messages and tips is critical to reaching a broader audience for behavior change. This year we are working with more local field offices, state stakeholders, and influencers to use local voices and reach more of their constituencies and followers.
For more information on how you can help keep our roads safe and honor the people who are working to keep our economy moving, please visit www.sharetheroadsafely.gov.
