Truck and Bus Inspectors Conduct Safety Inspections during 27th Annual International Roadcheck

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During International Roadcheck, 17 trucks or buses will be inspected every minute in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Greenbelt, MD (PRWEB) June 03, 2014

Truck and bus safety inspectors will be performing inspections day and night during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) 72-hour International Roadcheck, June 3-5, 2014. Inspectors will be checking commercial motor vehicles and their drivers at inspection sites along major highways across North America. Roving patrols will inspect commercial motor vehicles and drivers traveling other roadways.

CVSA is holding an event to kick off the 27th annual International Roadcheck on June 3, 2014, at FedExField in Landover, Md., at 10:00 am. The kickoff event includes speakers from CVSA, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Maryland State Police and the Maryland State Highway Administration.

“During International Roadcheck, 17 trucks or buses will be inspected every minute in the United States, Canada and Mexico,” said Stephen A. Keppler, executive director, CVSA. “Roadcheck is a very important three-day event that takes place once per year. But let’s not forget that every day, approximately 13,000 CVSA-certified local, state, provincial and federal inspectors at thousands of locations across North America help keep our roads safe by performing truck and bus inspections.”

International Roadcheck 2014 will include primarily North American Standard Level I Inspections, which is the most thorough roadside inspection. It is a 37-step procedure that includes an examination of both the driver and vehicle. Drivers will be asked to provide items such as their license, endorsements, medical card and hours-of-service documentation, and will be checked for seat belt usage and the use of alcohol and/or drugs. The vehicle inspection includes checking items such as the braking system, coupling devices, exhaust system, frame, fuel system, lights, safe loading, steering mechanism, suspension, tires, van and open-top trailer bodies, wheels and rims, windshield wipers, and emergency exits on buses.

In addition to the North American Standard Level I Inspections, the focus of International Roadcheck 2014 is on hazardous materials/dangerous goods (HM/TDG) regulatory compliance. These materials are transported routinely as cargo in commercial vehicle fleets. These shipments require special paperwork, driver credentials, vehicle safety, load securement, and hazard identification and communication, including placarding, to signify the added risks of exposure in the event of a crash, leak or fire. Hazmat-certified inspectors will be especially vigilant about potential HM/TDG compliance issues during International Roadcheck 2014.

“FMCSA supports Roadcheck 100 percent and we are pleased once again to partner with law enforcement to reinforce a zero tolerance for unsafe commercial bus and truck drivers,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. “Our goal is for every trip to be a safe one and the Roadcheck campaign does a great job of reinforcing safety as our number one priority for all truck and bus operations.”

Roadcheck started in 1988 to highlight the importance of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety, conduct CMV safety enforcement, educate drivers and motor carriers, and collect inspection data for year to year comparisons. Since its inception, Roadcheck inspections have numbered over 1.3 million, resulting in an estimated 301 lives saved and 5,530 injuries avoided. International Roadcheck is sponsored by CVSA, North America’s leading commercial vehicle safety-enforcement organization, with participation by the FMCSA, Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation in Mexico.

To learn more about International Roadcheck, visit http://www.cvsa.org/programs/int_roadcheck.

About the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more information, visit http://www.cvsa.org.

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