Could Training Make Columbia Police Better at Truck Traffic Stops?

Law enforcement officers in Columbia, Anderson, Rock Hill, Sumter, and Georgetown know the rules of the road that drivers are obliged to obey and police are very good at enforcing those rules. Police help to keep motorists safe by pulling over and citing drivers of passenger cars when violations of speed limits, red light laws or other rules occur. Unfortunately, a truck accident lawyer knows that when it comes to truck safety regulations, police may not be as familiar with the applicable rules that apply to commercial drivers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recognizes that enforcement of truck safety rules is a problem because law enforcement officers are often reluctant to try to enforce rules they don’t fully understand To try to combat this problem, Heavy Duty Trucking reports that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will now help to train police officers on enforcing truck rules.

Police Will Undergo Training on Truck Traffic Enforcement

The FMCSA has many different rules in place on things like how much trucks can weigh; what maintenance they have to do; what safety features they must have and how often truckers can drive. The safety rules and regulations can be complex and there are a huge number of them. Local law enforcement officers likely do not know all of the rules or processes set forth by the FMCSA for truckers because local police don’t usually take responsibility for enforcing FMCSA rules.

This is a problem, according to the chief safety officer of the FMCSA. Since officers feel as if they don’t really know rules for truckers, they may be reluctant to pull them over at all. Law enforcement officers may also be less likely to pull over a commercial truck because they are concerned about the safety risks associated with this type of stop.

The fact that police may not pull truckers over as often means that many safety violations go undetected. Not only that, but truckers may feel more confident that they can engage in behaviors that violate the rules of the road if they are less likely to be pulled over by law enforcement officers.

Even when law enforcement officers do pull truck drivers over, the information about the traffic stop and the violations may not be entered into federal databases that track trucking companies and drivers to assess safety compliance. This further undermines efforts at roadside safety.

Some evidence suggests that traffic stops coupled with limited inspections may actually be more effective at ensuring that trucks on the road are safe than the current system of primarily roadside inspections. This makes it even more essential to ensure that law enforcement officers are able to conduct traffic stops for truckers.

The FMCSA has put together curriculum for law enforcement training that includes information both on truck documentation requirements and on different types of violations. Hopefully, it will be helpful at encouraging law enforcement to stop more truckers and to enforce trucking safety rules.

South Carolina truck accident victims should contact attorney Chad McGowan of McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC at 803-327-7800 or visit https://www.mcgowanhood.com for a free case consultation. Serving Columbia, SC, Anderson, SC, Rock Hill, SC, Sumter, SC, and Georgetown, SC, and surrounding areas.