In an effort to reduce commercial vehicle crashes and deaths, Michigan State Police (MSP) motor carrier officers are participating in a summer long enforcement operation dubbed ‘Summer of Semi Safe D.’ Special attention will be paid to semi-tractor trailers as they were involved in 72 percent of the 2016 deadly accidents involving a commercial motor vehicle.
The initiative begins Monday, June 26, and focuses week-by-week on unsafe driver behaviors, like speeding and distracted driving, on dangerous roadways as well as at intersections and construction sites.
“This enforcement effort is in direct response to what we saw on our roads in 2016, a 41 percent increase in deaths involving commercial vehicles,” said Capt. Michael A. Krumm, Commander of the MSP, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED). “Michigan continues to be one of the safest states in the Midwest for commercial vehicle traffic, but the steep rise needs to be addressed.”
The dates and emphasis area of enforcement are as follows:
Area of Focus Dates
S-Speed – June 26-30
A- Awareness (intersections, construction zones, lane use) – July 10-14
F- Fasten seat belts, Following too close – July 24-28
E- Education – Aug. 7-11
D- Distracted driving – Aug. 21-25
In addition to enforcement, motor carrier officers will be educating drivers on behaviors that lead to accidents as well as providing information on the ‘Trucker’s Against Trafficking’ program, which enlists the help of truck drivers to recognize and report instances of human trafficking.
This initiative is also part of the statewide ‘Toward Zero Deaths’ traffic safety campaign, which is based on the national strategy on highway safety that seeks to reduce the number of traffic deaths.
