Illinois commercial vehicle checks revealed multiple violations

Police officials in Illinois have more reason to fear commercial vehicle accidents than many other people do. Several years ago, they lost one of their own in a commercial vehicle accident involving a tractor-trailer. In honor of their fallen brother, the state troopers now conduct a 24-hour crackdown on commercial vehicles every year.

It is a rigorous endeavor requiring troopers to make inspections on commercial vehicles operating on Illinois roadways. This year, the troopers worked tirelessly, inspecting over 1400 vehicles. Unfortunately, the results of this year’s crackdown are alarming to say the least. Of the more than 1400 vehicles inspected, 624 received written warnings and 123 received citations.

Even more concerning, troopers had to take 138 trucks off the road and put them out of service. This happened because many truck drivers were not qualified to operate the vehicles and because some of the vehicles were found to be dangerous. Some examples of unqualified truck drivers include those who have been driving longer than the allowed hours and those who do not have the right paperwork.

A spokesperson with Franey Trucking out of Champaign said his company cooperates with these annual inspections. He added that it protects trucking companies while also ensuring that commercial vehicles and their drivers are safer overall.

Residents of the state who have been injured or lost a loved one in a commercial vehicle accident can gain an extra measure of peace over the efforts of law enforcement. This kind of police attention combined with personal injury legal actions play an important role in reducing the volume of commercial vehicle accidents in Illinois. In the end, safety is always the goal for Illinois motorists.

Source: Illinois Home Page, “Truck crackdown produces concerning results,” Luke Ray, April 05, 2017