WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Staying safe on the roads (WTNH) _ As the summer driving season officially gets underway with Memorial Day weekend, state officals want to ensure that safety comes first with all commuters. Officials from the Department of Motor Vehicles discussed highway safety issues Thursday. News Channel 8's Leon Collins reports. Leon: "I see you've got a car full of people. Where are you headed?" Johanna Kobran, New Jersey: "Martha's Vineyard. We always go on Memorial Day weekend. We take our friends with us and have a good time." This weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. With everyone headed for fun, the Department of Motor Vehciles wants to remind drivers to avoid raging down the road. Jose Salinas, DMV Commissioner: "I tell folks if you feel compelled to wave to another driver please use all fingers when you do so, don't use one finger, thats just going to get you into trouble." Officials say that 70 percent of accidents on the roads are caused by passenger vehciles who frequently tangle with trucks. Doug Duboise, Trucker: "They cut you off, swerving all the time, that's why the traffic gets all messed up." The DMV says there would be fewer accidnts if more drviers would stay out of the no zone, places were truck driverrs can't see other cras very clearly. Johanna Kobran adds that some truckers could also have more patience. Kobran: "We try to avoid peak traffic times. You have to be very alert. I was being pushed by a truck on one side and another was behind me as well. During the Memorial Day holiday weekend and into the summer vacation season hundreds of commuters are either killed or injured as a result of failing to follow simple traffic safety rules and common sense. Nationwide more than 40,000 people die each year in motor-vehicle related crashes. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Staying safe on the roads
(WTNH) _ As the summer driving season officially gets underway with Memorial Day weekend, state officals want to ensure that safety comes first with all commuters. Officials from the Department of Motor Vehicles discussed highway safety issues Thursday.
News Channel 8's Leon Collins reports.

Leon: "I see you've got a car full of people. Where are you headed?"
Johanna Kobran, New Jersey: "Martha's Vineyard. We always go on Memorial Day weekend. We take our friends with us and have a good time."

This weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. With everyone headed for fun, the Department of Motor Vehciles wants to remind drivers to avoid raging down the road.

Jose Salinas, DMV Commissioner: "I tell folks if you feel compelled to wave to another driver please use all fingers when you do so, don't use one finger, thats just going to get you into trouble."

Officials say that 70 percent of accidents on the roads are caused by passenger vehciles who frequently tangle with trucks.

Doug Duboise, Trucker: "They cut you off, swerving all the time, that's why the traffic gets all messed up."

The DMV says there would be fewer accidnts if more drviers would stay out of the no zone, places were truck driverrs can't see other cras very clearly.

Johanna Kobran adds that some truckers could also have more patience.

Kobran: "We try to avoid peak traffic times. You have to be very alert. I was being pushed by a truck on one side and another was behind me as well.

During the Memorial Day holiday weekend and into the summer vacation season hundreds of commuters are either killed or injured as a result of failing to follow simple traffic safety rules and common sense. Nationwide more than 40,000 people die each year in motor-vehicle related crashes.

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.