DOT Roadcheck program works to ensure truck safety

MILWAUKEE (WITI) --To prevent large-truck crashes, the Wisconsin State Patrol will participate in the annual Roadcheck program from Tuesday to Thursday, June 4th to 6th, sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

During the Roadcheck period, the Wisconsin State Patrol and other agencies throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico will intensify their efforts to increase compliance with all commercial motor vehicle driver and equipment regulations and boost the number of commercial operators who buckle up.

“The Wisconsin State Patrol has highly trained commercial motor vehicle inspectors patrolling highways and stationed at our safety and weight enforcement facilities, also known as weigh stations,” says Capt. David Pabst of the Motor Carrier Enforcement Section. “Their mission is to remove unsafe and fatigued commercial drivers from the road and to ensure that all safety equipment on large trucks and other commercial vehicles is operating properly. During Roadcheck, the State Patrol will fortify its consistently stringent commercial motor vehicle inspection and enforcement efforts to save lives and reduce injuries by preventing crashes.”

Last year during the 72-hour Roadcheck period, the State Patrol conducted 1,049 commercial motor vehicle inspections, including cargo tankers transporting hazardous materials, and identified 4,131 safety violations. As the result of the Roadcheck inspections, 293 commercial motor vehicles and 87 drivers were declared out of service.

A combination of effective law enforcement and safety education has helped improve commercial motor vehicle safety in Wisconsin during the last 10 years. In 2012, large-truck crashes declined approximately 27 percent compared with 2003. Moreover, large-truck crash fatalities dropped from 102 in 2003 to 69 in 2012, which was a 33 percent reduction.