The California Highway Patrol's (CHP) statewide crackdown on unsafe trucks resulted in 3,076 truck citations Thursday during its day-long "Road Share 2001" commercial vehicle sweep.
CHP commissioner D.O. “Spike” Helmick said the crackdown was prompted by an increase in the number of truck crashes in the state, with the number of fatal crashes rising 18% from 1999 to 2000, according to CHP.
Trucks weren't the only vehicles targeted – officers issued 203 tickets to operators of passenger vehicles found to be driving unsafely around trucks.
Unannounced sweeps are slated to continue twice a week throughout the summer.