North Carolina Highway Patrol Looks to Prevent Mecklenburg County Truck Crashes with Operation Road Watch
In an effort to prevent motor carrier safety violations on state highways, the North Carolina Highway Patrol will be conducting Operation Road Watch on I-77 in Mecklenburg County for the next two days. Highway troopers are hoping to limit the number of semi-truck crashes along the corridor. Not only are they checking 18-wheeler truckers for aggressive truck drivers, but also they are looking for hazmat violations and unsecured loads.
Tractor-trailer violations can prove dangerous not just for the trucker but also for others on the road. In 2009, North Carolina state troopers investigated 5,577 of the 8,641 North Carolina motor carrier vehicle crashes that occurred. 98 fatalities and 1,839 injuries resulted from these collisions.
Police believe their efforts through Operation Road Watch will decrease the number of deadly North Carolina semi-truck crashes while also limiting the traffic congestion can occur when a large truck accident happens. Drivers that operate their vehicles aggressively when around tractor-trailers, speeders, aggressive drivers, and tailgaters will also receive tickets. This is the first campaign to concentrate only on commercial vehicle violations. Operation Road Watch will be going to other counties later in the year.
Our Charlotte, North Carolina truck accident law firm represent clients in North Carolina and South Carolina. We cannot stress enough how important it is to explore your legal options as soon as possible.
Just last week, 35-year-old Joshua Charles Woodrow died when the tanker he was driving was involved in a South Carolina tanker truck accident on I-77 and exploded. The truck which is owned by MTM Transportation and was hauling 8,500 gallons of gasoline, rolled onto its side, struck the sedan, and burst into flames.
Trucks being checked on I-77, Salisbury Post, August 24, 2010
Survivor of fiery wreck: ‘We got in the road and it exploded,’ WMBF News, August 16, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
State Highway Patrol
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association
