For more information, contact:
Captain Charles Lorentz, Wisconsin State Patrol
(608) 266-0305, charles.lorentz@dot.wi.gov
Lieutenant Patricia Hansen
(608) 266-0094, patricia.hansen@dot.wi.gov
Intensified commercial motor vehicle enforcement on June 7-9
To prevent large-truck crashes, the Wisconsin State Patrol will participate in the annual Roadcheck program from June 7 to 9, sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.
During the Roadcheck period, the State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies throughout North America will intensify their efforts to increase compliance with all commercial motor vehicle driver and equipment regulations and boost the number of commercial operators who buckle up.
“The Wisconsin State Patrol has highly trained commercial motor vehicle inspectors patrolling highways and stationed at our safety and weight enforcement facilities, also known as weigh stations,” says Captain Charles Lorentz of the Motor Carrier Enforcement Section. “Their mission is to remove unsafe and fatigued commercial drivers from the road and to ensure that all safety equipment on large trucks and other commercial vehicles is operating properly. During Roadcheck, the State Patrol will fortify its commercial motor vehicle inspection and enforcement efforts to save lives and reduce injuries by preventing crashes.”
Last year during the 72-hour Roadcheck period, the State Patrol inspected 721 commercial motor vehicles, including cargo tankers transporting hazardous materials, and identified 2,835 safety violations. As the result of the Roadcheck inspections, 207 commercial motor vehicles and 57 drivers were declared out of service.
A combination of rigorous law enforcement and effective traffic safety education has helped improve commercial motor vehicle safety in Wisconsin. Last year, large-truck crash fatalities were 27 percent lower than the five-year average. In addition, large-truck crash injuries were nearly 18 percent lower than the five-year average.
