Washington and Oregon team up to prevent truck crashes

More than 698 truck safety inspections were completed by Oregon Department of Transportation and Washington State Patrol certified inspectors during a multi-day inspection operation held last week along the Interstate 5 corridor in Oregon and Washington.


More than 782 violations were found during the inspections which focused primarily on commercial vehicle drivers’ logbooks and qualifications. Under federal and state regulations, drivers must take mandatory rest breaks after driving a specified number of hours. These regulations seek to prevent driver fatigue by controlling the number of consecutive hours drivers can spend behind the wheel without stopping for rest.


During the event, 145 drivers (or 19 percent) were placed out of service for safety violations. That rate is consistent with inspection events at other locations in Oregon and Washington over the last few years. The national driver out of service rate is about seven percent.

In Oregon, the Oregon Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Division has primary responsibility for regulating the trucking industry. In Washington, it’s Washington State Patrol. Both agencies follow the same federal regulations and guidelines for inspecting commercial drivers and their vehicles.


For updated information on highway work and current travel information throughout Oregon, visit www.tripcheck.com or call the toll-free Oregon road report at 511 or (800) 977-6368