Don Durand recalls riding the 18 wheels of his commercial truck
home to Iowa when a car crossed the center divider and slammed
head-on into his big rig.
Gilroy – Don Durand recalls riding the 18 wheels of his commercial truck home to Iowa when a car crossed the center divider and slammed head-on into his big rig.
That both Durand and the driver survived is astonishing considering an 80,000 pound truck moving at 60 miles per hour travels with the force of a locomotive, he said. That they plowed into one another the day before Christmas in 2004, seems to have only been a matter of time.
In California, there were 24,000 accidents between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles in 2005, resulting in 344 deaths, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Rose. It was also found that in three of four of fatal accidents, the car’s occupants were the ones to lose their lives and the car’s driver was the one to blame.
On the nation’s overcrowded roads and in Gilroy, which sits at the crossroads between U.S. 101 and state Highway 152, truck drivers know to be wary of cars.
While stopping for a shower and some rest at the Garlic Farms Truck Stop in south Gilroy, Durand talked about his 20 years of criss-crossing the country. “When I come to this state,” he said, “my favorite sight and the one I look forward to the most is the one that says ‘Welcome to California’ in my rearview mirror.”
In response to the increasing number of accidents on highways, the CHP teamed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the California Office of Traffic Safety for a concentrated educational and enforcement program.
Officer Rose has been roaming the CHP’s Coastal Division, which includes South Valley, “talking about dos and don’ts about big rigs, avoiding tailgating them, unsafe lane changes.”
The federally-funded Public Awareness of Commercial Trucks also is looking to give truckers immediate relief on the roads. A special strike force of seven marked patrol cars, two unmarked ones, an aircraft and two motorcycles has been set aside to target drivers of passenger cars that are affecting the movement of big rigs in the Coastal Division, Rose said.
At the Center for Employment Training branch in Gilroy, more than 160 people each year are trained to become commercial truck drivers. Vernice Dominguez, the center director, said the school could churn out more certificates given the high demand for drivers but does not in order to keep its reputation as a safety-first school.
During the 21-week course, trainees spend 630 hours behind the wheel, 400 hours of those on roads. Some schools, she says, complete the curriculum in six weeks.
“We work with students until they are ready to get on the road,” Dominguez said. “I really stand my ground after talking to employers who really appreciate the time we put into training. I’ve been tempted to shorten the course but when you look at this type of information you want to do what is best.”
For more information on the PACT campaign or to schedule a presentation, contact Officer Kevin Rose at (805) 549-3261.
Perry Shirley is a news intern and currently attends San Francisco State University. He can be reached at (408) 846-6452 or ps******@**********rs.com.
