BRIDGEWATER, N.S. (May 30, 2005) — How about all those silly four-wheeler tricks you’ve seen over the years? You might have wanted to call one in but were afraid maybe nobody would believe you. Well, somebody is listening: Warren Transport in Bridgewater, N.S., and Nova Scotia’s South Shore RCMP Traffic Services has teamed up in an effort to improve road safety.

The idea behind the initiative is to give the Mounties a first-hand look at the hazards a truck driver faces each day on Nova Scotia’s busy Highway 103 — like an episode of “COPS”, except in this episode the police are riding shotgun with the truckers.

Bill Grace, Warren Transport’s operations manager in Bridgewater, says he and RCMP Sergeant Jeff Wells decided to create a ride-along program over a cup of coffee. Sergeant Wells thought of the idea while doing a routine road safety presentation to Warren’s drivers a while ago. “As a traffic unit, we are responsible for crashes, collisions, and fatalities on the road and unfortunately some of those involve commercial vehicles,” he explains. “We often receive complaints from the general public about truck drivers and even complaints from truck drivers about the general public. This is a great way for us to see things first hand.”

The awareness program was launched in the Spring of 2003, and RCMP officers began riding along with various Warren drivers on runs from Bridgewater to Liverpool, N.S.

The Mounties try to send a different officer each time to give every member of the squad an opportunity to see the trials and tribulations that truck drivers face on the road each day. “Some of our drivers were a little hesitant at first when we told them that they would be traveling with an RCMP officer watching their every move,” says Grace. “But after witnessing the benefits of the program, they are all very much in favor of it.

“It certainly opens our eyes to some of the dangerous actions that four-wheelers take around trucks. We get to see how the general public behaves and how they react around these commercial vehicles,” Wells explains. “It is a learning experience for us, and it gives our members a great chance to see what these truck drivers actually have to put up with, from traffic congestion to hazards.”

The program also educates officers to other road issues that can cause problems for truck drivers, for instance, signage issues in specific areas.

“In one particular case, we tried lobbying the Department of Transportation to change the location of a sign that made it hard to see oncoming traffic,” Grace says. “Our complaints were falling on deaf ears until the RCMP saw the problem through our eyes. The Mounties requested the DOT make the change and it was done.”

Sergeant Wells agrees the “fly-on-the-wall” perspective of a trucker’s life has opened his officers’ eyes to the lack of knowledge many people display when driving around commercial vehicles. “It has been very beneficial to see what the industry puts up with when it comes to braking and stopping. Many motorists don’t realize that these vehicles can’t stop on a dime.”

He also credits the program for creating a better relationship between the RCMP and truck drivers. “There is a lot more interaction out there now. All of our cars are equipped with CBs, and we are seeing a lot more communication between drivers and our officers. An officer may notify drivers of upcoming hazards or give them a courtesy warning if they are going a little too fast running downhill. On the other side of the coin, the truckers are helping us to spot reckless drivers and other hazards. It has certainly worked out well for all parties involved and gives us the knowledge to educate the public.”

— By Chris McKee