ROADSIDES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA —  Roadcheck 2012, the three-day, commercial vehicle safety enforcement and education campaign organized annually by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), will be held June 5-7 at locations across the continent.

Each year, approximately 10,000 CVSA-certified inspectors at 1,500 locations across North America perform the truck and bus inspections.

CVSA sponsors Roadcheck with participation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico).

During Roadcheck 2011, approximately 16 trucks or buses were inspected, on average, every minute for the 72 hours of the event, from June 7 to 9, from Canada to Mexico.

 Drivers were pulled over or directed into weigh stations or other inspection locations and asked to show their commercial driver’s license, medical examiner’s certificate and record of duty status. Brakes, tires, lights and every major safety component of the truck or bus, plus proper load securement were also examined during Roadcheck.

Last year, nearly 8,000 CVSA and FMCSA certified inspectors at 2,550 locations across North America performed 70,712 truck and bus inspections in 72 hours. Inspectors focused on the North American Standard (NAS) Level I inspection, hours of service logbooks, and household goods (HHG) carriers.

Roadcheck is one of a series of activities that occur year round whereby CVSA-certified inspectors conduct compliance, enforcement and educational initiatives targeted at various elements of motor carrier, vehicle, driver and cargo safety and security.

“Roadcheck is about law enforcement partners throughout North America working together for greater truck and bus safety,” FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro said of last year’s Roadcheck.  “The fact is, federal, state, and provincial safety inspectors across the continent are on the job every day vigorously enforcing commercial vehicle and driver safety regulations.  For all of us, that is our year-round mission and passion.”

Since its inception in 1988, the roadside inspections conducted during Roadcheck have numbered over 1 million, “resulting in more than 220 lives saved and 4,045 injuries avoided.” CVSA claims. “It has also provided for the distribution of countless pieces of educational literature and safety events to educate industry and the general public about the importance of safe commercial vehicle operations and the roadside inspection program.”