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| ODOT News |
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ODOT conducting truck safety inspections this week
Feb. 19, 2008
For more information, contact Sally Ridenour (503) 986-3359
Oregon Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Division inspectors are conducting a five-day intensive inspection operation at weigh stations and ports of entry along Interstate 5 and Highway 99 starting today. Inspectors are checking commercial vehicle drivers’ logbooks and qualifications to make sure they are complying with federal and state regulations.
“The purpose of this effort is to prevent crashes and to help drivers ensure they are safely operating their vehicles,” said Howard Russell, ODOT Motor Carrier Safety Compliance Field manager. “This special enforcement initiative is just one piece of ODOT’s overall plan to reduce truck-at-fault crashes.”
In similar multi-day operations last year, ODOT inspectors placed more than 1,200 drivers, about a quarter of those inspected, out of service. That’s well above the national average of 7 percent. The most common type of violations included inaccurate logbooks and driving too many hours without a break.
“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 keeping Oregonians safe,” said Russell.
MCTD safety specialists, motor carrier enforcement officers, State Police, and other law enforcement partners conducted a record number of truck and driver inspections in 2007. Inspection totals for the calendar year are still being tallied, but it’s projected to exceed the previous year’s record total by at least 3 percent.
Although truck crash data for 2007 hasn’t been finalized yet, preliminary results are indicating that there may be a decrease in truck-at-fault crashes vs. 2006.
“The Oregon Department of Transportation’s overriding priority is safety,” said Russell. “Our data tells us with certainty there is a correlation between safety inspections and reducing crashes.”
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