Colorado Springs, Colorado (NAPSI) - Road accidents caused by distracted or speeding drivers are a huge risk for the more than 135,000 men and women of the waste and recycling industry who are out in force each day keeping our communities clean and healthy-but you can be part of the solution.

Just as most drivers tend to drive carefully when they see a school bus, in many places, it’s now required to give trash collection vehicles the courtesy of slowing down when trying to get around them.

The Problem

Some drivers try to speed up to avoid garbage trucks. Others don’t even realize one is nearby, since they’re such familiar presences. Because of such roadway dangers, trash collection is one of the country’s most dangerous professions.

What’s Being Done

To help, the National Waste & Recycling Association’s (NW&RA’s) “Slow Down to Get Around” campaign urges drivers to be more careful around solid waste collection vehicles.

“It’s critically important for everyone’s safety to slow down to get around garbage trucks,” said Sharon H. Kneiss, president and CEO of NW&RA, which represents the waste and recycling companies in the U.S. “It only takes one smart and cautious driver to set an example for the rest of the cars on the road.”

Many people are asking their community leaders about legislation and regulations aimed at keeping trash collectors and drivers safer on the roads. Several states have recently passed such laws.

Learn More

For more information, see http://beginwiththebin.org/slowdown.