Baltimore, Maryland — Safety around trucks takes the spotlight in this summer’s Maryland’s Smooth Operator program. As a heat wave strikes the Baltimore area, the Smooth Operator program is working to put the chill on aggressive driving behaviors through education and enforcement waves of its own. Aggressive driving is never a good idea, and it’s even worse around large commercial trucks. In the last five years, 299 people lost their lives and 12,951 people were injured on Maryland roads in crashes involving a large commercial truck or cross-country bus. Specifically, speeding, following too closely, weaving in and out of lanes, running stop signs and stop lights, and improper passing are all to blame.  Because large trucks require more space to safely navigate, aggressive driving around large trucks can be particularly hazardous.

“Aggressive driving is no accident.  These are preventable crashes. And it's a shared responsibility among all who use our roads,” said Bill Bronrott, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.  “It is appropriate that we are launching Smooth Operator by the Raven’s stadium because saving lives on our roadways is the Super Bowl of public service.  There is no higher calling, and it's a team sport.  I want to thank our front line offense and defense – our law enforcement officers – for putting their lives on the line to combat aggressive driving, especially during this peak road travel season.”

Commenting on aggressive driving around trucks, Tom Gianni, Chief of the Maryland Highway Safety Office, summed it up succinctly: “It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, and it’s an epidemic.” Gianni also noted that children watch and learn parents’ driving habits from the back seat, explaining, “If you get frustrated, speed, weave, blow through stop lights, tailgate trucks, and so forth, that’s a lesson for them in how to deal with stress on the road.” Gianni also connected the Smooth Operator program to Maryland’s goal – Toward Zero Deaths – noting, “Every person who dies as the result of a motor vehicle crash represents a loss of life that’s sudden, shocking and unacceptable.”

“Safety is the highest priority at UPS. We train our drivers to keep an appropriate following distance between their truck and other cars on the road.  That way, if a car passes in front or is following too close, our driver has time to slow down or change lanes as necessary.  Allowing distance between your car and a truck helps to keep both safe,” UPS Director of Health and Safety Mark Brien.

Partners at today’s event outlined crucial advice for driving around large, commercial trucks:

• Allow plenty of distance between you and a truck. Don’t forget that a car driver tailgating a truck cannot see the roadway ahead of that truck. If a truck needs to suddenly slow or stop, the driver behind could be caught unaware if driving aggressively.

• Because a truck takes longer to stop than a car, most truck drivers attempt to leave extra space in front of them.  Car drivers that dart in front of trucks and into that safe stopping distance are putting themselves at risk.

“Check if you can see the driver’s face in a truck’s mirrors. If you can’t see that driver, he can’t see you! Many motorists don’t realize that big trucks have blind spots and erroneously assume that, by being higher up, the truck driver must be able to see them,” advised Maryland Motor Truck Association President Louis Campion.

“Anytime you become rushed, irritated, bold or pushy in your vehicle, you stop respecting the rights and safety of other drivers and pedestrians. That’s a particularly dangerous choice around a truck because of its size and the driver’s limited ability to see you and stop quickly,” described SHA’s Director of the Office of Traffic and Safety Cedric Ward. “Ultimately, the Smooth Operator program saves lives. We’re here to reduce deaths and injuries from collisions with trucks and to keep everyone moving safely.”

“Law enforcement is a critical part of the Smooth Operator program,” said Captain N.W. Dofflemyer, Commander of the Maryland State Police’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. In fact, 57 Maryland police departments are participating in Smooth Operator in 2013. “Almost 80 percent of drivers consider aggressive driving to be the top threat they face on the road today.  We need all drivers to recognize that aggression has no place behind the wheel - whether behind the largest tractor trailer or the smallest coupe.  Together we can prevent crashes and save lives." 

About the Smooth Operator Program: Founded in 1997, Smooth Operator is a public safety campaign that targets aggressive drivers in the District of Columbia and Maryland. The program started with 18 law enforcement agencies and has grown to involve more than 50 agencies. Smooth Operator uses the following 4 “E’s” to tackle aggressive driving: enforcement, education, evaluation and engineering. The 2012 Smooth Operator campaign was successful in raising awareness of aggressive driving behavior: pre- and post-campaign public opinion surveys of area drivers showed that the recognition of the Smooth Operator message increased from 55 percent to 65 percent. For more information, visit www.smoothoperatorprogram.com.

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