| Truck inspectors aim to reduce number of crashes |
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| ODOT News |
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Aug. 31, 2011
For more information, contact Sally Ridenour (503) 986-3359
Oregon Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Division inspectors are conducting an inspection initiative this week along U.S. 97, Interstate 84 and U.S. 730 focusing on commercial vehicle drivers’ logbooks and qualifications.
Trained inspectors will conduct truck and bus safety inspections and hand out safety information to drivers at several locations. Commercial vehicles and drivers are subject to strict federal and state safety regulations, including safety inspections of vehicles and drivers. Because driver fatigue is a factor in many commercial vehicle crashes, federal and state regulations limit the number of hours a commercial driver can operate his or her vehicle without taking a mandatory rest break. Drivers must keep a log of their hours behind the wheel.
The Oregon Department of Transportation’s overriding priority is safety. The purpose of the inspections is to prevent crashes and to help drivers ensure they are getting enough rest to safely operate their vehicles.
During a similar multi-day commercial vehicle driver inspection operation earlier this summer, 620 inspections resulted in placing 27 percent of drivers out of service for safety violations. The overall driver out of service rate in Oregon is about 15 percent. Nationally, the rate is about six percent. Placing a driver out of service means he or she cannot drive until taking a mandatory rest break or correcting other safety violations.
Motor Carrier team recognized with national award
Oregon’s out of service rate is higher than the national average, not because there are more violations in Oregon than in other states, but because more violations are found during routine and special inspection events like this one. One reason is that Oregon has some of the best inspectors in the country. An elite team of ODOT Motor Carrier Safety Compliance Specialists Jess Brown, David Rios, Harold Smith, Steve Swanson and Harold Wolford, also known collectively as Oregon Safety Shift4, are the 2011 recipients of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Award. This is an international honor bestowed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators in cooperation with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Administered by International Registration Plan Inc, this award acknowledges the jurisdiction, agency or person that has made considerable contributions to improving highway safety involving commercial vehicles and their drivers. It recognizes those who have contributed most significantly to the reduction of fatalities or crashes.
These efforts appear to be paying off. Due to the efforts of Oregon Safety Shift4 and the rest of Oregon’s inspectors, truck crashes in Oregon are down 20 percent, injuries in truck crashes are down 22 percent, and fatalities are down 17 percent. Motor Carrier analyzes each incident to determine who or what was at fault and the analysis shows that crashes in which the truck driver is at-fault are down 25 percent.
Although the majority of drivers operating on Oregon highways are safety-conscious professionals operating well-maintained trucks, these inspections are crucial to the identification of those who are not and vital for keeping Oregonians safe.
For more information about the Commercial Vehicle Safety Award visit the IRP website. For more information about ODOT Motor Carrier’s safety efforts visit the division's website.
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