Pennsylvania State Police: Operation SAFE Places 101 Trucks Out of Service

Enforcement Effort Focuses on Seat Belt Use, Vehicle Documentation

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania State Police placed 101 trucks and 75 commercial vehicle drivers out of service during a one-day statewide enforcement effort that focused on seat belt use and proper driver and vehicle documentation, Commissioner Frank E. Pawlowski said today.

"Operation SAFE, which stands for Seat Belt and Fatigue Enforcement, was conducted May 12 by members of state police motor carrier enforcement teams," Pawlowski said. "The teams inspected trucks, checked for seat belt use by drivers, and examined commercial vehicle driver's licenses, vehicle inspection reports, hours of service logs and other required documentation."

Pawlowski said 1,804 commercial vehicles were inspected statewide, resulting in 933 traffic citations and 1,343 written warnings. He said 62 of the traffic citations were issued for drivers not wearing seat belts.

Pawlowski said brake issues and inoperable taillights were the primary reasons for placing vehicles out of service, while logbook violations were cited in 55 of the 75 cases in which drivers were placed out of service.

"Operation SAFE was the latest in a continuing series of enforcement efforts by state police to ensure that commercial vehicles are operated safely on Pennsylvania roads," Pawlowski said.

For more information, visit www.psp.state.pa.us or call 717-783-5556.

Media contact: Lt. Myra A. Taylor or Jack J. Lewis, 717-783-5556

Editor's Note:  The following is a breakdown, by state police troop area, of the number of inspections conducted, vehicles placed out of service, and citations issued by state police during the one-day program:

• Troop A (Cambria, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties), 224 inspections; eight vehicles placed out of service; 31 citations;
• Troop B (Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties), 211 inspections; nine vehicles placed out of service; 75 citations;
• Troop C (Clarion, Clearfield, Forest, Elk, Jefferson and McKean counties), 210 inspections; four vehicles placed out of service; 47 citations;
• Troop D (Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties), 185 inspections; four vehicles placed out of service; 41 citations;
• Troop E (Crawford, Erie, Venango and Warren counties), 150 inspections; 23 vehicles placed out of service; 129 citations;
• Troop F (Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Union and Tioga counties), 147 vehicles inspected; eight vehicles placed out of service; 45 citations;
• Troop G (Bedford, Blair, Centre, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata and Mifflin counties), 131 inspections; six vehicles placed out of service; 32 citations;
• Troop H (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Perry and York counties), 75 inspections; six vehicles placed out of service; 15 citations;
• Troop J (Chester and Lancaster counties), 93 inspections; six vehicles placed out of service; 48 citations;
• Troop K (Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties), 107 inspections; six vehicles placed out of service; 86 citations;
• Troop L (Berks, Lebanon and Schuylkill counties), 68 inspections; no vehicles placed out of service; 17 citations;
• Troop M (Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties), 94 inspections; 11 vehicles placed out of service; 51 citations;
• Troop N (Carbon, Columbia, Monroe and part of Luzerne counties), 20 inspections; two vehicles placed out of service; 17 citations;
• Troop P (Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and part of Luzerne counties), 56 inspections; four vehicles placed out of service; 42 citations;
• Troop R (Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna and Wayne counties), 99 inspections; three vehicles placed out of service; 48 citations;
• Troop T (Pennsylvania Turnpike), 158 inspections; 10 vehicles placed out of service; 209 citations.

SOURCE Pennsylvania State Police Department