New Hampshire Program Teaches Teen Drivers About Trucks

New Hampshire State Police are educating young drivers about the challenges of truck driving in an effort to reduce crashes.

In a program called “Teens & Trucks,” troopers talk to teens about topics such as the additional stopping distance needed for a truck, staying out of a truck’s blind spots known as the “No Zone,” safe lane changes around trucks, and the fact that trucks make wide turns because of their size.

Drivers age 16 to 24 are invited to see a demonstration on Wednesday, July 16, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Driving Solutions LLC in Nashua. Students will be able to sit in a commercial vehicle and see things from the driver’s perspective.

Authorities say in New Hampshire nearly 80 percent of fatal crashes involving commercial motor vehicles are the fault of a passenger vehicle driver.

With funding from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, New Hampshire State Police started a program in 2012 to present an educational module to driver education classes throughout the state about the differences between large trucks and buses, compared to passenger vehicles operating on the roads.