| Driver fatigue is a factor in many truck crashes |
|
|
 |
| ODOT News |
|
Driver fatigue is a factor in many commercial vehicle crashes. That’s why federal and state regulations limit the number of hours a commercial driver can operate his or her vehicle without taking a mandatory rest break. Drivers must keep a log of their hours behind the wheel. That’s also why the Oregon Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Division places special emphasis on commercial vehicle driver inspections and log book checks.
Focusing safety efforts on drivers is nothing new to Oregon. ODOT has been aggressively targeting unsafe commercial vehicles and drivers with enhanced enforcement and education initiatives for the last several years. In Oregon, during a multi-day commercial vehicle driver inspection operation Aug. 30 to Sept. 3, there were 810 inspections resulting in 33 percent of drivers out of service for safety violations. This is up slightly from the 27 percent average for a similar exercise in July, and from the 2010 driver out-of-service rate, which was 26 percent.
The national driver out of service rate is about 6 percent. Placing a driver out of service means he or she cannot drive until taking a mandatory rest break or correcting other safety violations.
Oregon’s out of service rate is higher than the national average, not because there are more violations in Oregon than in other states, but because more violations are found during routine and special inspection events. One reason is Oregon has an excellent record-keeping system that allows inspectors to check all available data thoroughly. Commercial vehicle safety inspections are not random. Using several sorting tools, including weigh station records, safety records, and information in national databases, employees scrutinize the vehicle and driver. Driver behavior is carefully observed as the vehicle proceeds through the weigh station. Drivers who look inattentive or fatigued are routinely selected for an inspection. During the inspection, the driver is interviewed and supporting documentation is reviewed to verify the driver’s logbook.
Another reason is that Oregon’s inspectors are some of the best in the country. ODOT Motor Carrier Safety Compliance Specialists Jess Brown, David Rios, Harold Smith, Steve Swanson and Harold Wolford, also known collectively as Oregon Safety Shift 4, are the 2011 recipients of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Award. It recognizes those who have contributed most significantly to the reduction of fatalities or crashes.
These efforts appear to be paying off. These efforts appear to be paying off. Truck crashes in Oregon are down 20 percent, injuries in truck crashes are down 22 percent, and fatalities are down 17 percent. Motor Carrier analyzes each incident to determine who or what was at fault and the analysis shows that crashes in which the truck driver is at-fault are down 25 percent.
Although the majority of drivers operating on Oregon highways are safety-conscious professionals operating well-maintained trucks, these inspections are crucial to the identification of those who are not and vital for keeping Oregonians safe.
For more information visit the ODOT Motor Carrier Division website.
###ODOT###
|
|
|
|
