Safety is the emphasis of an ongoing Maine State Police initiative.
Specifically, safety or lack thereof, around commercial motor vehicles.
In late December, the state’s CMV enforcement unit (Troop K) began focusing on drivers who cut off, sped past or were distracted while driving near commercial vehicles.
WGME-TV reported that within a four-hour period, the Maine State Police pulled over 52 cars and cited 24 drivers for safety violations around commercial vehicles.
Lt. Randy Keaton told the Portland, Maine television station that law enforcement doesn’t want to be linear in its approach to crash reduction.
The Maine Motor Transport Association said it routinely works in cooperation with Troop K, but this was the first initiative it knew of focused on driving habits around commercial vehicles.
“MMTA is fortunate to work regularly with Troop K and we were made aware of the planned effort by the Maine State Police,” Tim Doyle, vice president of the Maine Motor Transport Association, said. “We appreciate that Troop K is data-driven and that their enforcement efforts are directed toward trying to impact cars committing unsafe acts around trucks, which have been proven to cause crashes.”
Approximately one of every 16 jobs in Maine is in the trucking industry, with more than 5,000 trucking companies operating within the state, according to the Maine Motor Transport Association website.
“MMTA believes that all motorists, professional truck drivers included, play a role in keeping the highways safe,” Doyle said. “Focusing on known causation factors is a great approach to reducing crashes. We support the state police in their efforts to reduce crashes.”
Safety is a major component of MMTA’s mission. The organization regularly honors drivers and fleets for their efforts while continually evaluating safety protocols.
“MMTA recognizes a driver of the month and a driver of the year, in addition to giving out awards to our safest fleets with our fleet safety awards program,” Doyle said. “Our Safety Management Council meets quarterly to share best practices in safety. These quarterly meetings are attended by the Troop K, FMCSA and Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles. We all share the same goal – highway safety.”
Maine State Police said it plans to conduct additional enforcement as part of this initiative in the coming weeks. LL
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