Washington State Patrol has, in the years since 2000, significantly increased its enforcement inspection of large trucks. These inspections two purposes are: (1) protect the safety of the motoring public by checking truck
brakes, lights, etc., driver’s proper licenses, and the size and weights of loads; and (2) protect the highway bridges and pavements by enforcing legal load limits though enforcement of over legal loads. Truck inspections increased from about 64,000 in 2000 to 116,000 in 2002. Over this period of expanded enforcement, the number of fatalities related to large trucks had declined.
Percent Increase in WSP Commercial Vehicle Inspections Compared to Percent Decrease in Fatalities Involving Large Trucks
1999 = 1.00
During that five-year period, WSP also increased the efficiency of its inspection activities by using Commercial Information System Network (CVISN) technology to allow trucks with better safety records to bypass inspections, while Weigh in Motion sensors allowed many truckers to bypass weigh stations. For example, in 2002, 85% of transponder-equipped trucks were waved through inspection at weigh scales, while 30% of non-transponder equipped trucks were provided the opportunity to by-pass on WIM weights alone.