ATA truckers offer tips for safe holiday driving

The holiday season is an extremely popular travel time for U.S. residents. With more than 84 million motorists expected to travel more than 50 miles each during the holiday season, the American Trucking Associations offered tips from professional, commercially licensed truck drivers to help drivers arrive safely at their destinations.

"The holidays are a challenging time on the highways," said Dion Saiz, Share the Road Professional Driver. "Between motorists visiting families or finishing up last minute shopping there is nothing better than patience and safe driving practices behind the wheel."

As trucking safety is one of the top priorities of drivers in the industry, these ideas can help ensure an accident-free holiday season.
• Perform simple vehicle maintenance on wipers, fluids and radiator and cooling systems to fix small problems before heading out on the road
• Be familiar with changing weather conditions for the duration of the journey
• Do not attempt to maneuver around large trucks, as they do not have the same reaction time as smaller vehicles
• Avoid distracted driving, which is a major factor in many traffic accidents
• Always wear a seatbelt, which can reduce the risk of fatality by 45 percent
• Remove ice and snow from the vehicle before getting on the road to prevent dangerous conditions

ATA truckers offer tips for safe holiday driving

Wednesday, December 19th, 2012