As part of “The Mountain Rules” truck driver education series, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) recently released three new videos aimed at educating and preparing truck drivers — especially those from out of state — for the unique challenges they face on Colorado’s mountain highways.
The videos are specifically focused on safe winter driving, navigating construction work zones, and handling hot brakes.
“The Mountain Rules” series was developed by CDOT, in partnership with the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Motor Carriers Association (CMCA) in 2019. All videos in the series emphasize the importance of being prepared for the specific obstacles truck drivers face when traveling through the state.
While local truckers may be familiar with Colorado’s highways, those from out of state often are new to the intricacies of navigating winter driving conditions along steep mountain corridors, understanding chain and traction laws, managing hot brakes, and adhering to Colorado’s Move Over law. Each topic has its own dedicated, 10-minute video as part of the overall series to help prepare drivers.
You can watch each video at the links below:
The Mountain Rules videos also are distributed to truck driving schools, trucking companies, and other trucking-related entities.
“The steep downgrades, winding roadways, and fast-changing weather conditions make for a challenging drive, for even the most experienced truck driver,” said the CMCA President Greg Fulton. “The Mountain Rules program and videos provide a great educational tool for truck drivers, especially those unfamiliar with Colorado’s mountains. It helps them to understand how to navigate our mountainous roadways in a safe manner. We believe this tool and other strategies by our state and local partners will make mountainous corridors like I-70 safer and reduce delays and closures.”
For additional resources, visit The Mountain Rules website.