Page 17 - ATR 3 2012 web 2

Associations (ATA) created America’s are included and will be considered for the design speeds, the 85th percentile
Road Team, a national public outreach raising speed limits from 55 mph to 60 speeds and crash rates, as well as the
program designed to educate the public mph. locations of traffic signals and school
about highway safety and the truck- Speed limit sign changes could be zones.
ing industry. For the past 26 years, the made within the next several weeks.
America’s Road Team Captains have The Department reviewed all rural
been everywhere. It is no exaggeration four and five lane highways currently
to say that millions of Americans have posted at 55 mph. Sections of less than
met Captains of the America’s Road two miles were generally excluded.
Team, heard or read their safety mes- A total of 87 sections were stud-
sages, and as a result has changed their ied in detail, including a review of
driving behavior.
ATA is now searching for professional
truck drivers, both men and women, who 30 years of balance.
are willing to take time away from the
cab of the truck to serve on the 2013-
2014 America’s Road Team. As Road Team
Captains, these drivers will take a few
days each month to meet with the motor-
ing public, the news media, students,
transportation officials, community
and business leaders and our lawmakers
to demonstrate the trucking industry’s
commitment to safety. In addition, Road
Team Captains appear at events ranging
from driver safety meetings to state capi-
tols to reinforce the importance of safety
and professionalism in our industry.
Nomination forms are available on
the ATA website and are due August 24,
2012.

faSTEr SpEEd lImITS
Arkansas motorists cruising along
divided highways in the middle of
nowhere will soon avoid those ‘speed
traps’ so popular with small town
police officers. The Arkansas Highway
Commission has authorized the state
highway department it oversees to
increase speed limits on four lane rural
highways from 55 to 60 miles per hour.
“The Commission asked us earlier
this year to study these rural highways
to determine if modifications to the
speed limits were warranted,” said
AHTD Director Scott Bennett. “Based
on a thorough engineering analysis,
where safety is always first, we have
determined that there are sections of
these highways that may warrant a raise
in the speed limit.”
Approximately 265 miles of rural,
four and five lane, undivided highways (501) 753-9700 • www.bellandcompany.net

aRkansas TRucking RePoRT | issue 3 2012 17