State Police Focus on Safety Defects in Attempt to Prevent Crashes

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania State Police placed 113 trucks and 22 drivers out of service in December under a month-long enforcement effort focused on waste haulers, Commissioner Frank E. Pawlowski announced today.

"Our goal was to identify safety defects that can lead to crashes," Pawlowski said.  "The most commonly found problems were improperly secured cargo and bad brakes. Keeping Pennsylvania's roads safe for everyone is a priority for State Police."

State Police personnel inspected 1,220 trash trucks during December, resulting in 556 traffic citations and 1,056 written warnings being issued. In addition, teams weighed 2,054 trash trucks to determine compliance with state vehicle weight limits, resulting in 14 additional citations.

The December enforcement effort was the result of a renewed commitment by the State Police and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.  A 2010 agreement between the agencies allows DEP to reimburse the State Police up to $550,000 for the program through July 2011.

Pawlowski said that during all of 2010, State Police inspected 5,761 trash trucks statewide, resulting in 3,190 traffic citations being issued as well as 859 vehicles and 95 drivers being placed out of service.

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:  Following is a breakdown, by state police troop area, of the number of inspections conducted; number of vehicles placed out of service; and citations issued by state police during the month-long program:

• Troop B (Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties), 103 inspections; three vehicles placed out of service; 10 citations;
• Troop C (Clarion, Clearfield, Forest, Elk, Jefferson and McKean counties), 65 inspections; two vehicles placed out of service; 21 citations;
• Troop D (Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties), 126 inspections; two vehicles placed out of service; 21 citations;
• Troop E (Crawford, Erie, Venango and Warren counties), 113 inspections; 18 vehicles placed out of service; 47 citations;
• Troop F (Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Union and Tioga counties), 92 inspections; eight vehicles placed out of service; 51 citations;
• Troop G (Bedford, Blair, Centre, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata and Mifflin counties), 61 inspections; two vehicles placed out of service; 11 citations;
• Troop H (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Perry and York counties), 79 inspections; eight vehicles placed out of service; 24 citations;
• Troop J (Chester and Lancaster counties), 95 inspections; three vehicles placed out of service; 31 citations;
• Troop K (Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties), 134 inspections; eight vehicles placed out of service; 49 citations;
• Troop L (Berks, Lebanon and Schuylkill counties), 99 inspections; seven vehicles placed out of service; 25 citations;
• Troop M (Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties), 67 inspections; 22 vehicles placed out of service; 49 citations;
• Troop N (Carbon, Columbia, Monroe and part of Luzerne counties), 16 inspections; three vehicles placed out of service; 67 citations;
• Troop P (Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and part of Luzerne counties), 30 inspections; five vehicles placed out of service; 25 citations;
• Troop R (Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna and Wayne counties), 71 inspections; nine vehicles placed out of service; 48 citations issued.
• Troop T (Pennsylvania Turnpike), 69 inspections; 13 vehicles placed out of service; 93 citations issued.

SOURCE Pennsylvania State Police Department