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Do you have trouble controlling your space? A driver was enjoying the beautiful scenery as he was west bound on I-70 through Colorado. He thought, "If there is a perk with the job, it has to be what you get to see."

Why some drivers want to speed was beyond his imagination when they could take their time and enjoy nature at its best. But then most drivers were not the problem; it was the 4-wheelers who would dart in front of or fly around you going down a hill.

Just then a 4-wheeler darted in front of him only to have to brake to avoid missing another 4-wheeler that was exiting off the interstate. Their combined action caused him to lock up. He jackknifed into the median turning over on the driver's side.

The window had been down and in the melee that followed, he felt his arm being caught in the wreckage of the door and the ground. Pain was shooting throughout his body as the tractor came to a rest.

He imagined that his arm was gone. As it turned out, the wreckage of the door actually protected the arm and he only received severe cuts and bruises.

Drivers must be range managers and must supervise their space even in the midst of 4-wheelers. Ways to work on this is:

1. Maintain space between the vehicle in front based on 1 second for every 10 feet plus 1 second if over 30 feet. For a tractor and trailer combination of 60 feet the space allotment would be 7 seconds.
2. Understand that 4-wheelers are using antilock braking systems (ABS) that will bring them to a halt much faster than you expect.
3. And know that 4-wheelers have no comprehension of the stopping distance required for an 18-wheeler.

Bottom line - You will always be blamed for accidents caused by vehicles in front of you - therefore control your space. Become a highway range manager.

That's the way I see it - Bob Hataway - TransAlive.

Bob Hataway is president of TransAlive USA, an organization of 100,000 volunteers across America dedicated to serving drivers and their families in the transportation industry through their Caring in Action=Safety Program. They cover every zip code in the United States and move quickly to meet the needs of the drivers and their families when they experience an accident, illness, heart attack or even death on the highway. Call 800-USA-HURT for assistance.