A nationwide campaign is underway to safety inspect as many 18-wheeler trucks as possible. The big rigs are checked out for their lights, brakes and tires. The driver’s log books are reviewed. The driver’s licenses are checked.
A Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper stated it is especially important for the safety equipment on the 18-wheelers to work properly. He says that is because when 18-wheeler collisions do occur, the outcome is often deadly.
“It is a lot weight, a lot of momentum when it hits another vehicle. One of those rigs is about 80,000 pounds,” said the Texas Trooper. One of the truck drivers inspected stated that he did not mind stopping for the checkpoint. His company gives him a safety incentive of $50 if he passes. The trucker also stated that he sees a lot of trucks on the roadway that should not be there.
The Texas DPS inspected close to 6,000 vehicles during the road check program in 2008. It removed about 1,400 of those trucks from the highways because of safety violations. I applaud the Texas Department of Public Safety and all State Troopers on the roadway that check these big rigs and their drivers for safety to protect the motoring public on our nation’s highways. Tour Bus safety checks should be next.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
