From the Driver's Seat: Wait to Pass

By Jeff Rose, Professional Driver, Santmyer Logistics Inc.; America’s Road Team Captain

I am Jeff Rose, a professional truck driver for Santmyer Logistics Inc. in Ohio. I have been driving for 39 years and have accumulated more than four million accident-free safe driving miles.

There are traffic laws that every driver should abide by, but unfortunately, drivers do not always follow the rules. Additionally, there is more traffic on the roads now than ever. Over the years, I have traveled many interstate highways, state highways and country roads, all of which have no-passing lanes at some point on the drive. I see people in all types of vehicles, even motorcycles, passing in these no-passing zones. I always shake my head and wonder what they are thinking and why they would do that. Almost no vehicle doing this gets to its destination any quicker, yet it causes the driver and those around them more stress – not to mention, they are wearing out their brakes and using more fuel by getting on and off the brake pedal, costing them more money.

I haul fuel, and I travel a lot of state and country roads. Almost daily, I see someone passing in a no-passing zone and have witnessed several near head-on collisions. Serious accidents on two-lane roads occur for various reasons, including driver inattention, excessive speeding and illegal passing. The no passing zones are there for a reason.

In Ohio, we have a lot of rolling hills and curves. Being unable to see what is over a hill or around a curve is one reason for a no passing zone. It is not uncommon to see horses and buggies, bicycles, tractors, and pedestrians walking on the side of the road. Before zipping around a slower car in front of you, remember: they are going slow for a reason. Patience and waiting for a passing zone to get around any vehicle safely are essential.

This is especially true if the vehicle ahead is a semi-truck. It takes time to get a semi-truck’s speed up to safely pass a horse and buggy. As a professional driver, I follow at a safe distance until it is safe to pass. I do not want to take the risk of hurting myself or someone else. We all need to be more mindful of the consequences of our actions and how they will affect ourselves and others.

There is no reason that anyone, including myself, should take the risk of hurting someone else to save some time. Whether driving to your job, school, a shopping mall or a football game, arriving safely and a little late is far better than the consequences of an accident or ticket. My daily goal is to make it home safely to see my wife, kids and grandkids. It does not matter if you are driving a commercial motor vehicle, motorcycle or car; everyone’s family wants them home safe.

Remember, the best part of the day is when you are home with the people you love. So, ask yourself: is being in a hurry and breaking the law worth the risk of hurting yourself or someone else, or worse, not coming home at all?