On Wednesday, December 9, 2009, the Washington State Patrol will open all 54 scale sites throughout Washington State. In conjunction with Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers operating the scales, WSP Troopers will aggressively patrol known truck by-pass routes.
The focus of the emphasis is load securement and the prevention of collisions caused by shifting or falling loads during transit. Cargo being transported on our highways must remain secured on or within the transporting vehicle.
It is also the responsibility of the WSP to enforce the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. All areas of weight and traffic enforcement as well as vehicle inspections will be included in the emphasis.
This year Washington State has seen a decrease in fatal accidents by 60% which can be attributed to commercial vehicle safety inspections performed at weigh stations across this state.
So far, during 2009, three "Open Scale "emphasis have been conducted resulting in 1,642 inspections, 168 vehicles and 42 drivers placed out of service. Officer also noted 120 load securement violations with 72 of those placed out of service.
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