TORONTO, (June 8, 2004) — The Ontario Trucking Association and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation will be presented with an Award of Excellence for their Avoid My Blind Spots truck decal and poster campaign at the 35th annual National Transportation Week Ontario Awards Breakfast today.

The road safety campaign was designed to warn motorists to avoid driving in a large truck’s blind spots, since as many as 35 per cent of truck-car fatalities are tied to motorists inadvertently driving in a truck’s blind spots. The Avoid My Blind Spots decal fits on the back of tractor-trailers.

“Creating a greater awareness on the part of motorists with regard to a truck’s blind spots will help make Ontario’s roads safer,” said OTA president, David Bradley. “There is a need to enhance public understanding of how to safely share the road with larger vehicles and this campaign is designed to do just that.”

Meanwhile, Barrie Montague, vice-president of the Ontario Trucking Association will be presented with the Colonel Robert Hardie Award of Lifetime Achievement at today’s ceremony.

The award of lifetime achievement is presented to Canadian business leaders who have dedicated their career to the field of transportation and in the process have made a significant contribution to the industry.

Montague’s roots in the trucking industry began over 35 years ago, when the U.K. based multi-national company he worked for transferred him to Canada to join an Ontario-based trucking company. Over the years, he served as president of an Ontario-based tank truck company for seven years, and vice-president of a major eastern-Canada tank truck company for five years.

During his career in the industry he served on the OTA Board of Directors and then on the OTA Executive Committee as treasurer and vice chairman. He also served on the Board of Directors and then on the Executive Committee of the National Tank Truck Conference of the American Trucking Associations.