NBA All Star Karl Malone Accepts DOT Highway Safety Award

Federal Highway Administration
April 25, 1999

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, April 25, 1999
Contact: David Longo
Tel: (202) 366-0456
FHWA: 28-99

Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Gloria J. Jeff today presented National Basketball Association All Star Karl Malone a highway safety award for his active participation in the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Share the Road/No-Zone public education campaign.

The No-Zone program is part of FHWA’s national effort to educate motorists about how to drive safely around large trucks and buses and increase highway safety. Malone, who was featured in a computer-animated "Don’t hang out in the No-Zone" television public service announcement, owns an 18-wheeler and holds a commercial driver’s licence.

"Safety is President Clinton’s and Secretary Slater’s highest transportation priority,@ said Jeff. "We are proud to have the ‘Mailman’ deliver these important highway safety messages to the public. He is an excellent role model for all Americans and we hope his recognition in the FHWA No-Zone public service announcement (PSA) will have a positive influence upon people’s driving behavior."

In the PSA, Malone explains the FHWA’s No-Zone message, showing motorists "blind spot" areas around large vehicles in which passenger vehicles literally "disappear" from the view of truck and bus drivers and where crashes are more likely to occur.

"I think what you are doing to educate people nationwide about sharing the road safely with large trucks and buses is very important," Malone said. "That’s why I agreed to be in the FHWA’s No-Zone PSA to help show people how to drive around large vehicles."

The FHWA has distributed the PSA to television networks and affiliate stations as Americans take to the road for their spring and summer vacations.

The Malone PSA is the fifth in a series of 30-second No-Zone television PSAs that were first introduced in 1994 by Secretary Slater when he served as Federal Highway Administrator. In addition to television PSAs, the No-Zone public highway safety campaign includes radio and print PSAs, driver education materials, and a web site address of