Truck safety inspectors will be on the job around the clock June 5-7 checking trucks and their drivers at inspection sites along major highways in North America. In addition, roving patrols will inspect commercial vehicles traveling other highways. The 72-hour inspection, International Roadcheck 2001, is sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).
When there are no violations of critical safety items, the inspector places a CVSA decal (good for 90 days) on the vehicle's windshield. This allows inspectors at other sites to choose not to inspect the vehicle, unless a visible safety defect is apparent.
More than 25,000 CVSA decals were issued during Roadcheck 2000. At that time, in excess of 42,000 vehicles were inspected. Of those inspections, 26.2 percent of vehicles and 5.7 percent of drivers were placed out-of-service because of serious safety violations.
The annual Roadcheck marathon, which began in 1988, places a special focus on the year-round commercial vehicle safety and other driver safety programs aimed at saving lives on North American highways. More than two million roadside safety inspections, including the annual inspections, are conducted each year by CVSA-trained inspectors. The number grows each year as the volume of commercial traffic increases and as more government resources are provided for commercial vehicle safety programs.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (formed in 1982) includes all 50 States and U.S. Territories (State Police, Highway Patrols, Public Service Commissions), all Canadian Provinces and Territories, and Mexico. Associate members include truck and bus industry organizations, as well as industry individuals who play an active, supportive role in improving commercial vehicle and hazardous materials transportation safety.