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Truck and Bus Safety Enforcement Efforts Having an Impact

WASHINGTON, June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- In the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial vehicles in the world, 14 trucks or buses were inspected every minute from Canada to Mexico during Roadcheck 2006. Over a 72-hour period from June 6-8, 8,522 CVSA-Certified Inspectors at 1,850 locations across North America performed a near record 60,357 truck and bus inspections.
The number of vehicles placed out of service and "parked" due to serious defects decreased significantly this year from 2005 in all major categories -- trucks, buses and hazmat.

* All vehicles: 21.7% in 2006, down from 22.5% in 2005;
* Buses: 6.9% in 2006, down from 11.7% in 2005; and
* Hazmat: 18.2% in 2006, down from 19.3% in 2005.

A record number of CVSA Decals -- 30,950 -- were issued to vehicles passing the inspection without having any defects in the 13 critical inspection areas.

However, the number of drivers placed out of service increased significantly this year from last, going from 4.4% in 2005 to 5.6% in 2006. The bulk of those drivers placed out of service (57.1%) were done so for hours of service violations, followed by falsification of records of duty status with 12.4% of the total. Licensing-related violations comprised the bulk of the remaining drivers placed out of service, with drivers operating while under suspension leading the pack. Hours of service continues a disconcerting trend in 2006, with 4.5% of all inspections resulting in a driver being placed out of service for hours of service, up from 3.5% in 2005 and 3.4% in 2004.

Furthermore, there were 1,223 drivers cited for not wearing their safety belts, up from 1,150 last year. This, however, comprises a small fraction (2.0%) of the total drivers inspected. Safety belt use was one of the focus areas during this year's event due to their low usage rate by commercial drivers (54%) as compared to automobile drivers (82%).

Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation released results from a multi-year study on large truck crashes, in which it concluded that, "An action or inaction by the drivers of the truck or the other vehicles involved were important reasons leading to crashes in a large majority of the cases."

CVSA Executive Director Stephen Campbell commented "The roadside inspector, in partnership with FMCSA and the support it provides through the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program have been key factors in helping to reduce the large truck related fatality rate in the United States by nearly 50 percent in the last 20 years. Placing emphasis on drivers is a key component to enhancing safety on our highways, and concentrated enforcement programs like Roadcheck give us the data we need to target our efforts. Enforcement sends a message that we will put you out of service if you are violating the law or driving an unsafe commercial vehicle."

"The success of Roadcheck is a reflection of the strength of our federal, state and local partnerships," said FMCSA Deputy Administrator David Hugel. "The key is working together. And while Roadcheck each year raises well- deserved national attention to these dedicated professionals, the truth of the matter is, they are working everyday to save lives."

Bill Graves, President & CEO of the American Trucking Associations, Inc., commented, "The trucking industry continues to be appreciative of CVSA's annual Roadcheck effort to target unsafe commercial motor vehicles and drivers operating on our highways. ATA is pleased to see that the safety of the truck fleet continues to improve. Given the recent changes and uncertainty over the status of the hours of service rules, we acknowledge that driver adherence to these new rules is a challenge."

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance sponsors the annual Roadchecks with participation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico). Roadcheck, now in its 19th year, is one of a series of activities that occur year round whereby CVSA Certified Inspectors conduct compliance, enforcement and educational initiatives targeted at various elements of motor carrier, vehicle, driver and cargo safety and security.

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Source: Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

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