400 Commercial Trucks Inspected During Three-Day Safety Campaign

Rhode Island State police logged more than 800 violations while inspecting hundreds of commercial vehicles during the International Roadcheck Safety Campaign this week. From Tuesday to Thursday, troopers inspected more than 400 commercial vehicles traveling through Rhode Island at two checkpoints.

Inspections were conducted by state troopers in the Commercial Enforcement Unit, inspectors from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and members of local police departments from North Kingstown, Smithfield, West Warwick, Providence and Johnston. During these inspections, 696 vehicle violations and 136 driver violations were recorded. As a result, just under 120 vehicles and drivers were taken out of service.

"We hope this enforcement effort sends a strong message to the owners and operators of commercial vehicles, reminding them of their obligation to comply with state and federal regulations in order to ensure the safety of everyone on our roadways," said State Police Colonel James Manni.

The annual campaign is an international effort sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and is supported by local, state and federal police and highway safety agencies. Considered the largest inspection and enforcement effort, approximately 17 trucks and buses are inspected per minute across Canada, Mexico and the U.S. during the three-day campaign.

Police set up two safety checkpoints in Rhode Island, one on Interstate 95 North at the Richmond weigh station and the other on Route 146 South at the weigh station in North Smithfield. During the campaign, all commercial vehicles were required to stop for inspection.

Inspectors checked for safety issues within the vehicles themselves and with the operators. After the inspection was completed, drivers received a comprehensive report that was ater added to a national database. Violators have 15 days to fix any minor issues.

Over the course of the campaign, 89 vehicles were taken off the road for "major defects" like soft tires, broken turn signals or brake lights or malfunctioning air brakes. An additional 28 drivers were taken off the road for after being cited for driving too long without the required amount of breaks, not keeping up log books or not carrying a medical card. 46 other drivers were cited after refusing to stop for an inspection.

"In addition to ensuring that unsafe vehicles and drivers are removed from the road, the annual roadcheck program also allows inspectors to inspect, acknowledge and document the safe and compliant commercial motor vehicles traveling on Rhode Island roadways," said Sergeant John Furtado, head of the Rhode Island State Police Commercial Enforcement Unit.

Trucks that passed inspection were given a decal to show they had met the safety standard.

Here's a breakdown of the numbers from this year's campaign:

Total Number of Inspections: 416
Vehicles Taken Out of Service: 89
Drivers Taken Out of Service: 28
Number of Size or Weight Violations: 7
Number of Seat Belt Violations: 3
Total Vehicle Violations: 696
Total Driver Violations: 136
Moving Violation (drivers who failed to stop): 46