Motorists Reminded to Share the Road Safely and Responsibly

ALBANY, NY (05/28/2009)(readMedia)-- Commissioner David J. Swarts of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) today announced a new highway safety campaign reminding all New York State motorists to share the road safely and responsibly especially with large trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. The federally funded campaign includes innovative television and radio commercials as well as soon-to-be released Internet materials titled "Be Smart. Share the Road." The commercials were produced through the collaborative efforts of the twelve state agencies that comprise the GTSC.

"During the spring and summer months, we do more traveling on the road and encounter different types of vehicles, together with more motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians," Commissioner Swarts said. "Every motorist and highway user is reminded to obey the traffic laws and share the road safely and responsibly."

The new "Be Smart. Share the Road." materials can be viewed on the GTSC website, at SafeNY.com. The commercials utilize children in miniature motor vehicles to depict motorists interacting in various traffic safety conditions. The commercials focus primarily on the recommended highway behaviors for motorists when encountering large trucks, motorcyclists and pedestrians.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are more than 250,000 crashes involving cars and trucks every year. In more than 60 percent of all fatal crashes involving cars and trucks, police report that the car driver, rather than the truck driver, contributed to the cause of the traffic crash.

Many of those crashes can be avoided if motorists avoid traveling in "No-Zones," which are blind spots around commercial vehicles in which cars disappear from the view of the truck driver. No-Zones are where crashes are more likely to occur.

From 1998 through 2007, motorcycle registrations increased 70 percent in New York State. Alarmingly, operator and passenger fatalities rose 54 percent during that period. Like pedestrians, motorcyclists are at risk from lower visibility, less stability and less protection. Motorists should always watch for motorcycles and give them adequate space.

Crashes involving pedestrians accounted for about one-quarter of all fatal crashes in New York State from 2004 through 2007 and approximately 10-11 percent of all injury crashes during that period.

Although the statistics are clearly notable, in 2007 New York did have its safest year in history. Fatalities on the state's roadways were the lowest since the mid-1920s. In 2008, the state also had the highest seatbelt usage rate of 89 percent, which was 6 percent higher then the previous year.

Additional driver safety tips and information are available on the DMV web site at nysdmv.com and the GTSC web site at SafeNY.com.

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