Ignorance can be deadly – Highway edition

While the majority of commercial drivers are safe drivers, an alarming percentage stopped in a recent inspection effort by the TXDPS yielded what I consider to be alarming results. Below please find the results of the most recent Roadcheck inspection effort. Please be careful when you drive.

Internal jukebox: Speak to One Another, an anthem for church. The chorus is “Speak to one another, speak speak. O speak to one another in hymns and songs. Speak to one another, speak speak. O speak to one another in spiritual songs.”

June 28, 2012     TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY     NEWS RELEASE

Roadcheck Leads to 8,000 Truck and Bus Inspections

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) inspected more than 8,000 commercial motor vehicles during a three-day inspection effort earlier this month as part of Roadcheck 2012. DPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement troopers, specially trained Highway Patrol troopers and civilian inspectors joined forces from June 5 – June 7 during the annual inspection effort aimed at enhancing commercial motor vehicle safety.

Approximately 22 percent (1,763) of the 18-wheelers, buses and other commercial vehicles inspected were placed out of service for a variety of safety violations until appropriate repairs can be made. Issues with brakes, lighting and tires were the most common infractions that led to out of service violations.

Additionally, drivers were checked for compliance with state and federal laws, and 243 drivers were placed out of service. Among the violations were improper logging of duty time, driving over the maximum number of hours, and failing to have the proper type of license for the vehicle being driven.

In all, DPS issued more than 2,600 citations and another 23,000 warnings.

The annual Roadcheck program, sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, is designed to reduce commercial vehicle highway fatalities through increased vehicle and driver safety, education and law enforcement activities throughout North America.

DPS will also continue Operation Texas Thunder efforts throughout the year. This DPS initiative consists of surge enforcement operations targeted in specific areas where unsafe trucks or buses may be operating and to crack down on aggressive driving around commercial vehicles.

### (HQ 2012-075)

About Susan

I am a woman of strong opinion. You can listen or not, but I expect everyone to play nice and respect everyone else's right to have their own opinions. I was never much of a diarist, and I plan for this to be less about my life and more about my observations and information sharing. So let's not call this a "blog," which is a word I find a bit repellent.
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