Do You Know the "No Zone?"

Do you know where the "No Zones" are located around an 18-wheeler? Learning them could save your life.

In a effort to educate the driving public on these over-the-road truck blind spots, Wal Mart worked with MoDOT to set up a special display and presentation, May 28, at the Conway rest area on Interstate 44

"A No Zone is the spot beside a truck where you’re not supposed to be driving," said Dwayne Davidson, Wal-Mart OTR driver and safety promoter. "We want people to be able see these blind spots for themselves and learn how to stay out of them."

To help illustrate these zones, Davidson and fellow driver Mark Henley, set up an 18-wheeler in the Conway rest area just before Memorial Day weekend. The side of the trailer shows visitors exactly where the danger areas are. But to fully get the idea of where these spots eclipse a driver’s line of sight, the pair goes one step further.

"We let people sit in the cab so they can what we see," said Henley. "We actually park cars in the No Zones so folks can see where the blind spots are around the truck."

Davidson imparted one simple rule of thumb for drivers.

"If you can’t see my face in my rearview mirrors, I can’t see you at all," he said.

They two men have been promoting safety for the past three years. To get the message out, they set up displays at rest areas regularly around weekends and holidays. They also will visit schools and other organizations to help people learn how to stay out of the No Zone.