Six states along the I-75 corridor are launching “Staying Alive on I-75,” an enforcement initiative that will see increased police presence along the length of the corridor including a “zero-tolerance policy for reckless traffic violations that contribute to crashes.” While this safety blitz is not aimed solely at commercial vehicles, over the coming weekend, you can expect an even sharper eye trained on your tail lights than usual.
The six states that are collaborating are Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan. The stated goal is to keep I-75 fatality free for the weekend and to increase driver safety awareness even after the safety blitz is over.
“The Tennessee Highway Patrol is proud to participate in this multi-state campaign,” said Colonel Tracy Trott of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. “I have challenged all members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol to think strategically and use all available resources to help reduce the number of fatalities in Tennessee, not just this weekend, but throughout this entire year. As part of our own ‘Drive to Zero Fatalities’ campaign, we will be aggressive in the enforcement of reckless traffic violations that lead to injury or fatal crashes on Tennessee’s highways.”
According to the THP, law enforcement will be on the look-out for distracted driving, aggressive driving, speeding, seatbelt use, and – you guessed it – commercial vehicle safety. The THP has published a list of travel tips for staying safe on the road:
· Buckle up – a seatbelt is the most important safety feature in a vehicle;
· Obey all speed limits;
· Drive sober and alert;
· Eliminate driver distractions such as texting, talking on the phone, adjusting the stereo – anything that can take your eyes off the road, even for one second can lead to a crash;
· Get plenty of rest before setting out on a trip and allow plenty of time to reach your destination; and
· Take steps before you leave to prepare your vehicle for the trip i.e. checking tire pressure/condition and fluid levels.
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Source: knoxnews, chattanoogan
Thanks for the heads up.
Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan. these states are in finical trouble….I got this idea….in the fake interest of me caring about you safety…..We’ll write a lot of tickets,and put a lot of money in our budget,and call it a “Staying Alive on I-75’ Safety “.premotin.
Sounds about right.
How long will it run?
I for one, am in huge favor of this. Whenever you see a cop in the median, what do you immediately see after? Brake lights coming on on those speeding motorists’ cars.
Spend more money on cops, get more cops on our highways. Highway fatalities are the direct result of people not driving safely, a large percentage of them caused by aggressive driving and speeding.
I ALWAYS try my best to drive safe. I never speed. I never tailgate other vehicles. I ALWAYS signal my lane changes. And I smile every time I see these cars’ taillights come on when they see a cop.
In a previous news article on this site, there was discussion about “Raising $5-million to give the industry a new image”. If you’re really interested in giving the industry a new image, stop speeding, stop tailgating and start adopting safety as a habit of everyday driving. I think about this industry’s image every time I release my brakes and put the truck in gear.
Beyond that, if you’re worried about the cops, do your pretrip inspections the way they’re supposed to be done, and then make it a policy to drive your truck according to the law. If you do, you’ll not have that burned out taillight to get pulled over for, and you’ll not get pulled over for speeding. In fact, you’ll probably even smile every time you see that cop.
It’s all about us, folks. We’re the ones behind the wheel. We’re the ones who make the changes that effect this industry’s image. We’re the ones who decide whether our nation’s highways are safe in regards to our trucks.
We’re the ones who decide whether or not we get tickets. Pride in who we are and in what we do. THAT is what makes us look good.