In response to an increase in truck-involved and truck-at-fault collisions statewide, California Highway Patrol (CHP) commissioner Spike Helmick is launching an aggressive statewide enforcement effort today targeting unsafe commercial trucks.
Beginning at 6 a.m. PDT, enforcement will concentrate on highway areas CHP identifies as having “truck-related problems.”
"A record number of commercial trucks are traveling on our roads and highways,” said Helmick. “The shortage of professional drivers has also led to a larger number of inexperienced drivers. We are very concerned about these factors and will do everything necessary to ensure the safety of the motoring public."
All eight CHP divisions are included in the enforcement effort, which puts every available officer on the road and in the air focused on unsafe truckers. Fixed-wing aircraft will coordinate with ground patrol units to target top collision factors, including speeding, unsafe lane changes and turns, following too closely, stop sign and signal violations, DUI and fatigue.
Drivers of motor vehicles will also be targeted, as officers will also be on the lookout for drivers who maneuver unsafely around trucks.
CHP says truck-at-fault collisions are up 4% in California from 10,918 in 1999 to 11,443 in 2000. Truck-at-fault fatal collisions are up 8.2% from 80 to 97 statewide.