The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) launched a new highway safety campaign dubbed โOur Roads, Our Responsibilityโ that seeks to โraise public awarenessโ about how to operate safely around commercial motor vehicles (CMVs).
Nearly 12 million CMVs are registered to operate in the U.S., logging around 300 billion miles on the nationโs roads in 2014, the agency noted. And since large trucks and buses have significant size and weight differences – along with large blind spots, longer stopping distances, and limited maneuverability – they present serious safety challenges for bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers of passenger vehicles.
โTrucks and buses move people and goods around the country, contributing to our economic wellbeing and our way of life,โ noted Anthony Foxx, U.S. Transportation Secretary, in statement. โThese commercial vehicles also carry additional safety risks, so itโs critical that all road users understand how to safely share the road.โ
FMCSA Administrator Scott Darling added that the new campaign supports his agencyโs โcore missionโ of reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving CMVs.
โRoadway safety is a shared responsibility, and this initiative encourages everyone who uses our roads to be champions for safety,โ he said in a statement โWe look forward to working with all our partners to raise awareness around this issue.โ
