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ATA Voices Concern Over 'Shoot the Gap' Volkswagen Commercial

The American Trucking Associations sent a letter to Volkswagen voicing concern over its new television commercial "Shoot the Gap," which portrays a passenger car driver passing a tractor-trailer on the right side and pulling into a small gap between the two tractor-trailers.

In the letter, ATA President and CEO Bill Graves expressed his concern about the message it sends about safely sharing the road with large trucks.

Graves emphasized that the trucking industry has worked hard to improve safety; ATA has educated motorists on how to safely drive around tractor-trailers for more than 20 years through the national highway safety program Share the Road.

Graves says the driver in the commercial pulls into a gap too small to safely navigate the road without endangering passengers.

"The highway system plays a vital role in the movement of both people and freight and it is the responsibility of passenger vehicle drivers and commercial vehicle drivers alike to ensure we safely reach our destinations," Graves said in the letter. "We respectfully request that you reconsider your current campaign and work with us to promote the seriousness of reckless driving."

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