| Truck driver inspection exercise places 22 percent out of service |
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| ODOT News |
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Oct. 27, 2011
For more information: David House, (503) 945-5270
A recent concentrated inspection of commercial truck drivers’ log books placed 22 percent of drivers out of service, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Division.
ODOT placed 231 drivers out of service from Oct. 17 through 22 in log book checks at several inspection sites on major Oregon highways. The inspections also found safety equipment violations that placed 49 vehicles out of service.
The 1,037 driver and vehicle inspections during this operation resulted in a total of 263 violations that placed the driver or vehicle out of service.
Placing a driver out of service means he or she cannot drive until taking a mandatory rest break or correcting other safety violations.
Driver fatigue is a factor in many commercial vehicle crashes. Out of 1,155 crashes involving trucks in Oregon in 2010, the truck driver was determined to be at fault in 536 of those incidents. A truck mechanical problem caused only 38 of those incidents.
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 ODOT places special emphasis on commercial vehicle driver inspections and log book checks.
ODOT has been aggressively targeting unsafe commercial vehicles and drivers with enhanced enforcement and education initiatives for the past several years.
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. That was up slightly from the 27 percent average rate 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.
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, ODOT can 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.
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 about ODOT Motor Carrier’s safety efforts visit http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/MCT.
All motorists play a role in traffic safety, including how they share the road with commercial vehicles. In 2010, half the 1,155 crashes involving a truck in Oregon were not caused by the truck or truck driver. A total of 486 – or 42 percent – of last year’ truck-involved crashes in Oregon were caused by the drivers of other vehicles.
In the past 10 years, three out of four people who died in car versus truck crashes were riding in cars. In fact, in crashes involving a car and truck, the car occupants are 15 times more likely to be killed than truck occupants. Most of these types of crashes can be prevented if car drivers know how to steer clear of unsafe situations involving trucks.
A new 2.5-minute video from the Oregon Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Division offers tips for motorists to safely share the road with large vehicles.
The video is available on the ODOT website and on You Tube.
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