The Pennsylvania State Police and Public Utility Commission placed 148 trucks out of service and issued 528 traffic citations during a one-day enforcement effort that focused on inspecting commercial vehicles that transport hazardous materials, reported State Police Commissioner Frank E. Pawlowski.
The Commercial Motor Vehicle Safe Transportation of Placarded Substances detail, or S.T.O.P.S, was conducted April 14 by members of state police motor carrier enforcement teams in association with specially trained personnel from the PUC.
“Each year, about 200 trucks transporting hazardous materials are involved in fatal crashes and 5,000 others are involved in nonfatal crashes on our nation’s highways,” Pawlowski said. “Although these numbers appear relatively small, the potential for human injury and property damage in hazmat crashes is high.”
Pawlowski said 1,348 commercial vehicles were inspected. In addition to placing vehicles out of service and issuing traffic citations, officers handed out 1,351 written warnings for vehicle and driver violations and placed 28 drivers out of service.
“The number of vehicles placed out of service and citations issued illustrates the importance of ongoing monitoring for those transporting hazardous materials,” said PUC Chairman James H. Cawley. “Enforcement activities such as this are a vital part of making our highways safer for all travelers.”
Editor’s Note: Following is a breakdown, by state police troop area, of the number of vehicles inspected; number placed out of service; and citations issued by state police during the one-day program:
• Troop A (Cambria, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties), 117 inspections; 26 vehicles placed out of service; 57 citations;
• Troop B (Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties), 106 inspections; nine vehicles placed out of service; 27 citations;
• Troop C (Clarion, Clearfield, Forest, Elk, Jefferson and McKean counties), 118 inspections; four vehicles placed out of service; 28 citations;
• Troop D (Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties), 119 inspections; 14 vehicles placed out of service; 79 citations;
• Troop E (Crawford, Erie, Venango and Warren counties), 67 inspections; 14 vehicles placed out of service; 58 citations;
• Troop F (Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Union and Tioga counties), 97 inspections; 10 vehicles placed out of service; 84 citations;
• Troop G (Bedford, Blair, Centre, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata and Mifflin counties), 60 inspections; three vehicles placed out of service; 12 citations;
• Troop H (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Perry and York counties), 79 inspections; five vehicles placed out of service; 10 citations;
• Troop J (Chester and Lancaster counties), 44 inspections; two vehicles placed out of service; eight citations;
• Troop K (Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties), 78 inspections; one vehicle placed out of service; 19 citations;
• Troop L (Berks, Lebanon and Schuylkill counties), 46 inspections; nine vehicles placed out of service; 19 citations;
• Troop M (Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties), 49 inspections; nine vehicles placed out of service; 13 citations;
• Troop N (Carbon, Columbia, Monroe and part of Luzerne counties), 36 inspections; four vehicles placed out of service; 12 citations;
• Troop P (Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and part of Luzerne counties), 44 inspections; three vehicles placed out of service; three citations;
• Troop R (Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna and Wayne counties), 79 inspections; 17 vehicles placed out of service; 63 citations issued.
• Troop T (Pennsylvania Turnpike), 124 inspections; 13 vehicles placed out of service; 130 citations issued.