ATL Standard

The Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD) of the Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) recently participated in SafeDRIVE (Distracted Reckless Impaired Visibility Enforcement), from August 2-4, along with law enforcement partners in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.  SafeDRIVE is a national campaign that targets unsafe driving behavior, with a focus on highway and interstate safety.

Through high visibility enforcement, MCCD’s efforts concentrated on eliminating commercial motor vehicle traffic (CMV) collisions along I-20, I-75, I-85, and I-95. MCCD officers monitored CMV traffic for aggressive driving, speeding, following too closely, failing to wear safety belts, distracted driving, and driving under the influence. These efforts help ensure CMV drivers follow federal and state regulations, including hours of service compliance, commercial driver's license compliance, medical certification, and commercial motor vehicle credentialing.

“Georgia’s MCCD officers are proud to participate in the SafeDRIVE initiative with our law enforcement counterparts in the Southeast,” said Major Wayne Mobley, DPS MCCD Adjutant.  “Promoting road safety and reducing dangerous driving behaviors on our essential commercial routes is our top priority.”   

During this third concentrated enforcement period, MCCD Officers inspected 2,206 commercial motor vehicles, which resulted in traffic 1,254 violations, placing 200 drivers and 200 CMVs out of service. 

SafeDRIVE's enforcement efforts complement a national campaign run by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, "Our Roads, Our Safety" campaign, which educates motorists on how to share the road effectively and safely with CMVs.

All motorists should follow these safety tips:

• Stay out of blind spots. Large trucks and buses have huge blind spots on all four sides.
• Pass safely. Make sure you can see the CMV driver in their side mirror. Signal clearly and safely pass the truck or bus. Do not linger in the blind spot. 
• Do not cut off large vehicles. It takes a large truck traveling at highway speeds the length of two football fields to stop.
• Do not tailgate. Tailgating a truck or bus puts you in a blind spot. 
• All drivers should share the road safely.

Original source can be found here.