Highway Patrol Finishes Conducting First Operation Road Watch

Crackdown on motor carrier safety violations on North Carolina highways.

July 21, 2007

MECKLENBURG COUNTY NC NEWS -- The Highway Patrol finished conducting its first Operation Road Watch to crackdown on motor carrier safety violations on North Carolina highways this week. Operation Road Watch was conducted at the I-77 rest area and other locations in Mecklenburg County for two days and primarily focused on conducting safety inspections on tractor trailers.

Operation Road Watch is the first North Carolina campaign of its kind to concentrate solely on commercial motor vehicle violations. The State Highway Patrol used helicopters and unmarked patrol vehicles during the operation. In addition, State Troopers cracked down on motorists driving aggressively around big trucks and ticketing speeders, tailgaters, and aggressive drivers.

Fletcher Clay, Commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said, "The Highway Patrol is responding to the increase of big truck crashes on our highways," and "We are going to make the highways as safe as possible. I have instructed our Troopers to aggressively crackdown on commercial motor vehicle violations."

Each year, State Troopers and local law enforcement investigate more than 16,000 crashes involving motor carrier vehicles statewide. Just last year, 151 people were killed and 5,845 injured in crashes involving tractor trailers.

Mecklenburg County is a major hub for trucking companies in the southeast and, as a result, has a high volume of commercial motor vehicle traffic. Last year 11 motorists were killed in commercial vehicle involved collisions in Mecklenburg County.

Tractor trailer crashes also cause significant traffic congestion, an increasing problem in the greater Charlotte area. The magnitude of the problem is projected to double in the next 25 years. The state highway patrol's motor carrier enforcement section, along with local law enforcement, has obligated themselves to both improve commercial motor vehicle safety as well as the efficiency of commercial vehicle operations. Law enforcement officials believe their efforts will result in fewer serious collisions between motorists and commercial motor vehicles, as well as the significant congestion caused by such collisions.

The Secretary of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, Bryan Beatty, speaking of the Operation said, "The Highway Patrol is determined to reduce both fatal and non-fatal traffic collisions involving big trucks on North Carolina highways. Trucks exceeding weight regulations or in violation of federal safety regulations compromise the safety of our highways."

Motorists may report dangerous or erratic driving to the North Carolina Highway Patrol by dialing *HP on their cellular phones. The North Carolina Highway Patrol, a division of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, will be conducting more Road Watch operations in other counties later this year .

Published by:
Rob Cross
mailto:editor@357news.com

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