As has been the case for several years running, four state law enforcement agencies collaborate on Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement operations.
Another joint operation occurred July 6-10.
Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) Troopers and Motor Carrier Inspectors (MCI) joined troopers and commercial vehicle inspectors from the Illinois State Police, the Michigan State Police, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol in conducting a post-Independence Day joint enforcement effort
The purpose was to target “the unsafe operation of commercial motor vehicles and other vehicles,” a release from the Indiana State Police stated. “The focus of the initiative was the enforcement of each state’s law requiring all drivers to yield to stationary emergency vehicles.”
ISP cited state law in its release which “requires that all drivers operating other vehicles to, “when approaching an emergency vehicle with flashing emergency lights or sirens activated, immediately yield the right of way to the emergency vehicle by moving to change lanes to an available lane not immediately adjacent to the emergency vehicle.”
“If another lane is not open, drivers must proceed with due caution past the stationary emergency vehicle and immediately reduce their speed by at least 10 miles per hour until clearly past the emergency vehicle,” ISP stated. “This requirement to move over for stationary emergency vehicles applies not only to police, fire, ambulance and EMT vehicles, but also to stationary tow trucks, utility service vehicles, solid waste haulers, highway/road maintenance vehicles, construction vehicles, and survey crew vehicles that are displaying flashing yellow lights.”
During the week-long eforcement operaton, ISP conducted a total of 537 CMV inspections citing 17 for failure to yield. Two were citied for speeding in work zones while nine CMVs were cited for speeding. The total in all four states were 182 citations were issued for failure to yield while 19 were caught speeding in work zones with 40 commercial vehicles caught speeding in the four-state area.
In the four states, 264 had weight issues, 81 of those in Indiana alone.
“The Failure to Yield to Stationary Emergency Vehicles laws exist, in all 50 states, to protect our first responders and others working on our roadways from the dangers they face while working in an environment that exposes them traffic,” ISP stated.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
