Motorists in West Virginia and around the country can expect to see increased law enforcement activity between May 14 and May 16 during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual International Roadcheck safety blitz. The three-day initiative is held each summer in the United States, Mexico and Canada. During this year’s International Roadcheck, commercial vehicle inspectors will be focusing on drug and alcohol possession and tractor protection systems.
Level I inspections
Most of the tractor trailers pulled over during the International Roadcheck will be subjected to North American Standard Level I inspections. During this 37-step procedure, commercial vehicle inspectors check driver documentation and truck safety components including braking systems, steering mechanisms, cargo securement equipment and coupling devices. In 2023, 59,429 commercial vehicles were inspected during the International Roadcheck safety initiative. More than 17,000 serious safety violations were discovered during these inspections, which led to commercial vehicle inspectors ordering 11,270 trucks off the road.
Alcohol and drug use
Drug and alcohol possession will be an area of particular concern during the upcoming International Roadcheck safety blitz because the number of commercial drivers on a prohibited list maintained by the U.S. Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse has increased in recent years. This is worrying because commercial vehicle drivers under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances are more likely to crash and cause truck accident injuries. The CVSA hopes that more rigorous enforcement will prompt trucking companies to regularly check the DAHC to make sure their drivers are not prohibited.
Safer roads
The goal of safety initiatives like International Roadcheck is to make the nation’s roads safer for motorists and their passengers. It is worrying that about one in five of the commercial vehicles inspected during International Roadcheck in 2023 were found to be too dangerous to continue their journeys. This suggests that trucking companies do not take safety seriously enough.
