AUTOS AT FAULT IN MANY CRASHES STUDY OFFERS TIPS FOR BIG-RIG SAFETY.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

SANTA CLARITA - Car drivers in California are more likely to cause car-truck fatalities than truck drivers, according to a study by the American Automobile Association.

The finding is particularly significant in the Santa Clarita, where big rigs traversing the Golden State Freeway share the state's main north-south route with family cars heading home to one of the fastest-growing communities in California.

More than 2 million trucks passed through the California Highway Patrol's Castaic Inspection Facility on Interstate 5, which means motorists are likely to encounter commercial trucks. The CHP advises drivers to be especially cautious.

``It's been my experience that (motorists) aren't aware of the hazards ... around a moving truck,'' said Sgt. Tim Kappen, one of two supervisors at the Castaic facility. ``They don't realize that trucks need a long stopping distance. And that they could be driving in the truck's blind spot and not even know.''

The AAA finding comes after a study, which found that car-truck collisions resulted in 349 fatalities in the state last year.

Steven Bloch of the Auto Club said car drivers didn't realize they must behave differently around trucks than around other cars and that car drivers account for nearly 98 percent of driver fatalities in car-truck crashes - primarily because of the differences in the size of the vehicles.

The Auto Club analysis, based on CHP data, also shows, however, that drivers of cars and trucks are almost equally to blame in injury and property damage crashes. Statistics show that truck drivers are at fault in at least 46 percent of personal injury crashes and at least 52 percent of property damage incidents in truck-car related crashes. The AAA Foundation study did not look at injury and property damage crashes.

The good news is that despite increasing numbers of cars and trucks on California roads and highways, the number of fatal car-truck crashes declined 6 percent from 1995 through 2001, said Bloch.

``However, injury crashes involving cars and trucks went up 4 percent during the same time period. Both car and truck drivers need to be careful and take precautions when driving near each other to save lives and reduce injuries,'' he said.

Although law enforcement officers are unable to determine fault in all cases, truck drivers were at fault in at least 31 percent of all truck-related fatal crashes in 2001. Car drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and other causes were at fault in 69 percent of the crashes.

``The important message in the AAA Foundation Study is that both car and truck drivers need to learn to share the road safely. Any fatal crash is one too many,'' Bloch said. ``Car drivers need to realize that greater precautions must be taken when driving near trucks. Big trucks take longer to brake than cars do and cannot respond as quickly as cars to erratic or abrupt lane changes.''

SHARING THE ROAD

Behaviors that contributed to the majority of fatal crashes:

-- Failing to stay in the lane, or driving off the road.

-- Failing to yield right of way.

-- Driving too fast for conditions or above the speed limit.

-- Failing to obey signs and signals.

-- Driver inattention.

-- Drivers can safely share the road with trucks by:

-- Not changing lanes abruptly.

-- Slowing down to let trucks have the right of way.

-- Driving at a safe speed.

-- Staying alert to traffic signals and road conditions.

-- Always using turn signals.

-- Never cutting in front of a truck.

-- Avoiding driving alongside trucks whenever possible because if you can't see the truck driver's face in the side mirror, the driver can't see you.

-- Avoiding tailgating.

Source: American Automobile Association

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SHARING THE ROAD (see text)