30 YEARS OF SAFE DRIVING
OC TRANSPO DRIVERS SHARE TIPS ON HOW TO DRIVE ACCIDENT-FREE

Ottawa ­ Keep your eyes on the road. Concentrate. Never let your guard down. These are the most important things to remember if you want to avoid an accident.

These tips come from senior OC Transpo bus operators who have some of the city's best driving records. Pierre Gervais, Pierre Beauchamp, Keith Martineau and William MacDonald who have all driven OC Transpo buses without an accident for 30 years, were rewarded today at a special luncheon in honour of OC Transpo employees who have reached accident-free milestones of 20, 25 and 30 years. The OC Transpo safe driving awards were presented on Sunday, April 29 at Tudor Hall, 3750 Bowesville Road at 11:30 a.m.

Reaching these milestones is not easy. In order to qualify, employees must spend at least one thousand hours on the road each and every year, without getting into an accident. They brave all kinds of weather and traffic conditions every day.

" These operators deserve our congratulations and thanks for their daily contribution to road safety " says Transportation and Transit Committee Chair Madeleine Meilleur. "It takes a lot of patience, skill, and a positive frame of mind to manage to stay accident-free for so many years."

William MacDonald says, "never let your guard down." Pierre Beauchamp talks about the importance of concentration, Pierre Gervais emphasizes using your head while Keith Martineau stresses the importance of keeping your eyes on the road. These are all common sense tips, but many accidents could be avoided if drivers on the road simply drove defensively at all times.

This year, four operators celebrate 30 years of safe driving; 40 have 25 years; 51 received their 20-year award. In all, OC Transpo has more than 340 bus operators who have been driving accident-free for more than 20 years.

Contact : Lucille Doré 842-3632                                      720-0533 Cellular