New Laws For Ohio Tractor Trailer Drivers That Aim To Reduce Ohio Tractor Trailer Accidents This Summer.
This year, Ohio and Pennsylvania police have teamed up to help prevent Ohio tractor trailer accidents and Pennsylvania crashes caused by tractor trailers and other commercial vehicles. So expect to see a larger number of Ohio State Patrol officers on Ohio state highways. The joint effort kicked off in late March and will continue through the summer in an effort to boost awareness and reduce the number of Ohio tractor trailer accidents.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the joint effort was designed to increase awareness about Ohio tractor trailer accidents and other commercial drivers who engage in violations that can lead to crashes. The police also hope to increase enforcement and inspect tractor trailers to ensure they are following the Ohio law when driving state roadways. Both state police departments are focusing their efforts on Interstate 80, which connects both states. [May 2014, http://wkbn.com/2014/03/26/ohio-pa-police-targeting-commercial-crash-causing-violations/]
Lt. Marvin Hill from the Ohio State Highway Patrol investigative unit made a statement about the effort, stating, “Warmer weather is on its way, which increases traffic. When there is more traffic, there will be more Ohio cashes.” According to Lt. Hill, unsafe speeds and following too closely behind other vehicles are major factors in Ohio tractor trailer accidents. Both police departments are coordinating safety enforcement times for speeding and are instating random safety inspections for tractor trailers and other commercial vehicles. The two police departments plan to communicate to one another about potentially dangerous trucks. The police will also inspect deep-level safety inspections like brake wear and the possibility of mechanical failure.
The very first day the program launched, Ohio State Patrol officers pulled over a vehicle transporter for violating a speeding limit. The police also conducted a safety inspection, which revealed that two of the vehicles on the tractor trailer were not properly harnessed. Ohio police state that this restraint violation is a potential hazard and danger to other drivers. The same day, the police found several trucks without the proper regulation markings and a tractor trailer that was too full of natural gas fracking brine, which is another dangerous hazard to other drivers.
According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, 20,518 Ohio tractor trailer accidents occurred in 2011 (the most recently available year for traffic data). 11,830 of these crashes were the direct cause of tractor trailer drivers. In the crashes caused by tractor trailer drivers, 2,810 individuals were injured, and 43 individuals died. By implementing stricter enforcement for tractor trailer drivers and other commercial vehicle drivers, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Pennsylvania State Highway Patrol hope to reduce the number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities as the result of traffic violations and other safety violations by tractor trailer drivers. [May 2014, http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/2011CrashFacts.pdf]
Commercial drivers can prevent fines and other consequences of unsafe driving by ensuring they follow all safety rules and regulations as well as follow all traffic laws. Vehicles should be kept maintained and in working order at all times. This will help make the road a safer place both for tractor trailer drivers as well as for other drivers on Interstate 80.
Police have not specified if they are increasing enforcement on other state highways.