Published: July 28, 2008 04:01 pm      

Lizton driver earns accolades in annual INDOT truck roadeo

LIZTON — The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) recently held its eighth annual Truck Roadeo for the Crawfordsville district. The two top district winners were James Davis of Pine Village and Brian Edwards of Lizton.

“The Roadeo is a training exercise for drivers to practice on their snow plow driving during the summer, but it is also fun for them too,” explained Debbie Calder, public information officer for the Crawfordsville INDOT district.

Davis, who works out of the Carbondale Unit and has been with INDOT for 13 years, placed first. Edwards, who works out of the Lizton Unit and has been with INDOT for 12 years, took second.

In addition to being a fun way to increase safety knowledge, INDOT’s roadeo competition also has another bonus, Calder explained.

“It gives the drivers bragging rights as the best snow plow driver out of their subdistrict,” she said.

During the Roadeo, INDOT plow drivers face a number of challenging situations that simulate obstacles they would likely encounter on the roadway. Exercises include alley backing, inside and outside curve, and maneuvering around parked vehicles.

The drivers also completed vehicle inspections, where they searched for planted mechanical defects on their plows. Drivers start with a set number of points and face point deductions for each error.

Safety is also emphasized during the competition. For example, each time a driver operates their plow without a safety belt on, 50 points are deducted from their overall score.

The goal of the INDOT Truck Roadeo is to encourage safe snow plow operation and recognize the efforts and excellence of INDOT snow plow drivers.

Davis and Edwards will now go on to compete at the INDOT Truck Roadeo State Fair competition Aug. 14.

wendy.gould@flyergroup.com