| TACT campaign results in citations for aggressive drivers |
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| ODOT News |
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July 8, 2009
For more information: Sally Ridenour, 503-986-3359 or Lt. Mike Bloom 541-726-2536
The Ticket Aggressive Cars and Trucks campaign resulted in 50 citations and 46 warnings during a two-day operation last week in the Eugene area on Interstate 5. The Ticket Aggressive Cars and Trucks campaign, or TACT, is designed to reduce truck crashes through education and enforcement. Specifically, TACT focuses on aggressive driving near the vicinity of large trucks.
On July 2 and 3, Oregon State Police and Lane County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Transportation's Motor Carrier Division and the Oregon trucking industry, conducted a TACT enforcement exercise on I-5 between the Creswell interchange and the Diamond Hill interchange. During the exercise, Oregon State Police troopers rode in commercial trucks looking for motorists doing dangerous things like speeding, tailgating, and changing lanes unsafely. Leavitt’s Freight and Sherman Brothers, Inc. provided commercial vehicles and drivers.
Troopers and sheriff’s deputies issued 28 citations for speeding, seven for following too close, nine for improper lane change, four for not wearing a seat belt and two for no insurance during the 12-hour exercise.
“One driver was cited for traveling 103 miles per hour in a 65 mile per hour zone, following too close and unsafe/improper lane change,” said Lt. Mike Bloom with Oregon State Police, who coordinated law enforcement participation in the campaign. “Another driver was cited for careless driving when the vehicle drifted across the land divider and nearly sideswiped another car. The driver claimed he was not paying attention because he was plugging in an iPod.”
Bloom offers a few tips for drivers:
- Don't cut off trucks. For safety’s sake, it's recommended that car drivers maintain one car length for every 10 miles per hour of speed.
- Don't tailgate. Unlike cars, trucks have large blind spots behind them. Also, car drivers who tailgate trucks can't see traffic ahead. If the truck brakes suddenly, the car driver has no time to react and no place to go.
- Allow trucks plenty of room. Both car and truck drivers must be especially careful when entering a highway or merging with traffic.
- Don't speed. Speed is the leading cause of all crashes in Oregon.
For more information, visit the ODOT Motor Carrier Transportation Division Web site.
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