Consider This

Check your blood pressure for free

Thanks to sponsorship by Over the Road and Pro Trucker magazines, professional drivers can take advantage of advanced health screening technology that has been available for many years at work sites, medical clinics and pharmacies. Phil Claxton, president of Lifeclinic International (www.lifeclinic.com), has announced that Lifeclinic blood pressure monitoring kiosks are now available at 100 trucking centers as part of Ramp Publishing Group’s Healthy Trucker Information program. For locations and more information, visit their Web site at www.healthytruckerinfo.com.

“Blood pressure monitoring is important to everyone, and for the long haul trucking professional, it is a critical part of their employment that they control their blood pressure in accordance with U.S. DOT regulations,” Claxton says.

At the kiosks, over-the-road professionals can check their blood pressure, read health information and pick up the latest copy of Over the Road and Pro Trucker, all for free. The blood pressure test takes about two minutes.

“Over the Road and Pro Trucker’s sponsorship of the Healthy Trucker Info program is another example of our commitment to the health and well-being of the nation’s truck drivers,” says Marvin Shefsky, president and publisher, Ramp Publishing Group.

According to the National Institute of Health, more than one in four U.S. adults suffers from some type of hypertensive problem, and high blood pressure is the second most common reason for medical visits. “High blood pressure can be controlled, and regular screenings can help keep a long-haul driver on a healthy life style program,” reports Lee Burdine, president of BHS, Inc. BHS, an authorized distributor of the Life-clinic Kiosks, has worked closely with HTI to develop the truck-stop program.

Speeding, driving while drowsy top list of risky behavior

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports four main driving behaviors that increase a driver’s risk of being involved in a crash. They include driving faster than surrounding traffic, driving while drowsy, being distracted and driving aggressively. Speeding almost triples the odds of being involved in an accident; driving while drowsy poses a similar risk.

The AAA Foundation found that when a driver’s eyes strayed from the road for more than two seconds, the risk of a crash was nearly double that of a driver who paid attention to the road. For those exhibiting aggressive driving behaviors, the odds of a crash more than doubled.

Peter Kissinger, AAA Foundation president and CEO, said, “Although you may have driven too fast or while fatigued in the past and haven’t crashed yet, these risks are real and thus will eventually catch up with you if you continue to drive in this manner.”

Source: Roemer Report. Used with permission.