Roadcheck 2012 – Helping to Reduce Trucking Accidents

There have been a lot of recent efforts that have focused on making the trucking industry safer for other motorists. Once a year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) sponsors “Roadcheck,” a three-day program run nationwide that is designed to reduce the number of trucking accidents happening on roadways. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the agency responsible for implementing and enforcing trucking safety rules, participates in the program.

This year, Roadcheck was focused on two issues that have been plaguing the trucking industry. The first area that was a point of emphasis for inspectors concerned hours-of-service violations. Drivers would be checked to ensure that they had enough rest before getting on the road.

The second item that received increased attention was the condition of the truck’s brakes. Inspectors would examine the brakes on the trucks to determine if they were in proper working order. The inspections would then also check for other potential problem areas, including lights and tires. In addition to the inspections, drivers also received information about some of the ways that they could help avoid trucking accidents.

The program was focused on these two issues because violations in these two areas have not shown a decrease over time. The same numbers of violations keep on being reported, so officials hope that increased awareness will help to reduce these common problems.

As part of Roadcheck 2011, CVSA reports that 16 vehicles were stopped at weigh stations or inspection areas every minute. The report from this year’s operation will be released in August, which should allow officials to get a snapshot of some of the problems currently present in the industry.

Source: FleetOwner “Roadcheck 2012: Focus on hours and brakes” David Cullen, June 8, 2012.