Campaign cracks down on speeding truckers

Tennessee Commercial Vehicle Enforcement are stationed 25 miles apart along the state’s interstate system. When trucks are stopped for speeding, officers also inspect them for safety.

“Speeding is a leading factor in traffic crashes,” said Department of Safety Commissioner Fred Phillips. “Through this statewide enforcement campaign, we’re targeting drivers whose aggressive behavior makes it unsafe for other motorists.”

The program is called Stepped Up Patrol Enforcement Results, or SUPER. The goal, officials say, is to reduce commercial vehicle crashes in heavily traveled areas.

CVE officers have written more than 730 citations and warnings and performed more than 450 safety inspections since a crackdown began last month, officials said.

Not everyone is pleased with the emphasis on trucks. Chris Burruss, president of the Tennessee Trucking Association, said speed enforcement is important for all vehicles that use the interstates.

“It needs to be done for motorists as well as commercial vehicles,” he said.

In 2002, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 149 people were killed on state roads in accidents involving large trucks. That number is down from 185 truck-related fatalities in 1999, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press, http://www.timesfreepress.com