ATA vice chairman calls for shift in law enforcement focus

Louisville, KY – Traffic law enforcement agencies should shift their priorities away from roadside inspections and instead focus on drivers’ unsafe behaviors – the cause of about 9 out of 10 crashes – according to an American Trucking Associations representative.

In an April 23 speech to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Phil Byrd, ATA vice chairman, discussed traffic law enforcement’s use of the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (.pdf file).

Increased emphasis on roadside commercial vehicle inspections and driver credential checks will not be effective in reducing injuries and fatalities, Byrd said. Citing Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data, he claims that on-road presence and traffic violation interventions, combined with brief inspection activity, is about 3 times more effective than roadside vehicle inspections.

Byrd also called for increased enforcement emphasis on passenger vehicle driver behaviors around CMVs through the ATA “Share the Road” program.