AUGUSTA, GA (WFXG)
It is halfway through 2015 and the Georgia
Department of Transportation said there have already been 557 traffic
deaths. That's nearly 70 more than this time last year. A lot of those
involved large trucks, like tractor trailers.
Georgia is consistently among the top five states in the country with the highest number of road deaths related to commercial trucks. So far this year, there has been 79. However, local representatives are stepping up to help lower this number.
Congressman Rick Allen recently supported two bills to ensure critical funding for our nation's highways to help keep roadways safe. One of them is the transportation appropriations bill. It helps provide funding for agencies that focus on driver safety on the roadways. Those agencies include the national highway traffic safety administration and the national transportation safety board.
Road Safe America said large trucks are not all driving under the same safety control rules.
For example, every truck is different when it comes to their allowed speed. Georgia residents I talked with said bad weather conditions and distracted driving can be a very big problem for these trucks.
One resident, Scott Brooks, says he believes the driver's use of technology should be heavily monitored while behind the wheel.
“Clearly, they need to be off their phones as much as possible. Because, uh, they've really got a very dangerous piece of equipment they're driving. And, I think they all know that in general. But, you know, accidents do happen,” said Brooks.
Gov. Nathan Deal announced a plan last week to increase law enforcement patrols on the state's highways.
He said the department of public safety will add 60 motor carrier compliance officers to its staff within a year.
Deal said the total investment in the project will be roughly $10 million, and the additional officers will be assigned to areas that have been identified as high-crash corridors. Thirty four of the officers will be assigned to the I-16 and I-95 corridors.
The new officers will join 234 commercial-truck enforcement officers already on the job in Georgia.
Georgia is consistently among the top five states in the country with the highest number of road deaths related to commercial trucks. So far this year, there has been 79. However, local representatives are stepping up to help lower this number.
Congressman Rick Allen recently supported two bills to ensure critical funding for our nation's highways to help keep roadways safe. One of them is the transportation appropriations bill. It helps provide funding for agencies that focus on driver safety on the roadways. Those agencies include the national highway traffic safety administration and the national transportation safety board.
Road Safe America said large trucks are not all driving under the same safety control rules.
For example, every truck is different when it comes to their allowed speed. Georgia residents I talked with said bad weather conditions and distracted driving can be a very big problem for these trucks.
One resident, Scott Brooks, says he believes the driver's use of technology should be heavily monitored while behind the wheel.
“Clearly, they need to be off their phones as much as possible. Because, uh, they've really got a very dangerous piece of equipment they're driving. And, I think they all know that in general. But, you know, accidents do happen,” said Brooks.
Gov. Nathan Deal announced a plan last week to increase law enforcement patrols on the state's highways.
He said the department of public safety will add 60 motor carrier compliance officers to its staff within a year.
Deal said the total investment in the project will be roughly $10 million, and the additional officers will be assigned to areas that have been identified as high-crash corridors. Thirty four of the officers will be assigned to the I-16 and I-95 corridors.
The new officers will join 234 commercial-truck enforcement officers already on the job in Georgia.