A crackdown on motorists who drive unsafely around trucks on interstate highways leading into Denver was announced last week by the Colorado State Patrol.
The CPS launched a new educational and traffic enforcement campaign aimed to reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries caused by crashes between automobiles and big rigs. In Colorado in 2009, crashes between trucks and passenger vehicles killed 31 people and injured 161 others.
The accidents were the fault of the cars a little over half the time, but 78 percent of the fatalities were occupants of the passenger vehicles. The CSP spokesman noted that when 2,000 to 3,000 pounds passenger cars go up against 80,000 pound trucks, the cars don’t stand much of a chance.
In response to these numbers, CSP announced a program called TACT — "Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks." The state patrol will ticket passenger vehicles driving unsafely around trucks on the Interstate 25 and Interstate 70 corridors leading into Denver. Troopers will get help from the Westminster and Denver police departments.
There will be three specific periods of enforcement: July 19-23, Aug. 23-27 and Sept. 20-24.
The TACT program is the first high-visibility traffic enforcement campaign to concentrate solely on passenger vehicles driving aggressively around commercial motor vehicles. It is designed to educate car and truck drivers on the importance of leaving more space when merging, changing lanes, following behind trucks, or passing other motorists when driving.
Based on current crash and enforcement data for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009, the CSP said the top three driving behaviors which account for 52 percent of all commercial vehicle-involved crashes are speeding, following too close and unsafe lane changes.
To avoid accidents, passenger vehicle drivers should stay visible, don’t tailgate trucks, don’t speed and wear a safety belt. Motorists should also avoid cutting sharply in front of a truck, the maneuver reduces a truck’s "much needed breaking distance" and restricts the driver from taking evasive action to prevent a collision.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that 10 years ago a goal was set to reduce the number of fatalities due to commercial truck accidents by September 2010. That goal has already been met – the goal was 0.16 fatalities per million miles traveled. By the end of fiscal 2008, the rate was 0.521 per million miles. Meeting the goal has saved an estimated 500 lives.
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