Davis Law Group, P.S.

Online Driving Course Helps Truck Drivers Make Better Decisions

A collision between a tractor-trailer and an Amtrak train near the Reno area left six people dead and nearly 20 injured. An organization in Virginia, that works to prevent collisions around railroad tracks, believes that the crash was particularly tragic because it is a common occurrence around those specific railroad tracks.

Since this specific crash, there have been four other fatal truck-train accidents across the nation along with two other non-fatal collisions.

Thr group is now offering an online course that is designed to help make better decisions at railroad crossings, in hopes to prevent these accidents. Around 15,000 trucks drivers have taken the ProDriver Safety Challenge since June 9.

The groups hopes to reach their goal of 100,000 drivers this year, then eventually reach every professional trucker – about 3.5 million.

In the course, drivers are exposed to worst-case scenarios that require quick response and decision-making.

"It's basically like a video game, but it's a safety video game," OLI spokeswoman Marmie Edwards said.

The training is "very helpful," says Curt Valkovic, 45, a trucker and director of driver training for Maverick Transportation in North Little Rock, Ark. "Anytime you can get training that is interactive, it's very good," he says. "It's not something that you just sit there and watch. It keeps you engaged."

Seventy people died last year in 511 collisions between trains and large trucks, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.