PSC to step up commercial truck patrols

You’re going to see a greater presence of truck enforcement patrols in problem areas of West Virginia in the months ahead. The West Virginia Public Service Commission received a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to increase safety patrols on the state’s highways, especially in areas where there is a higher incidence of commercial truck accidents.

“This allows us to pay some overtime for our officers,” said Public Service Commission Communications Director Susan Small. “Instead of seeing them out there between seven in the morning and five in the evening, you’ll see them later, earlier, on weekends.  You’ll just see more of them.“

The PSC made the announcement Tuesday at a rest stop along Interstate 64 near Hurricane.

The increased enforcement will be targeted to specific highways of the state. The West Virginia Turnpike from Charleston to Princeton, U.S. Route 52 in Wayne, Cabell, Logan, Mingo, and McDowell counties, Corridor H, from Weston to the eastern panhandle, I-81 in Martinsburg, I-77 in Jackson and Wood counties, and I-70 in Wheeling will all be target enforcement areas.  Additionally more patrols will be added to U.S. Route 19 in Braxton, Fayette, Nicholas and Raleigh counties, U.S. Route 460 in Mercer County, and U.S. routes 35 and 17 in Putnam and Mason counties.  Small said another place which will get added emphasis from their truck safety enforcement will be areas of the state with a high number of Marcellus shale drilling operations.

“We’re still going to be doing our regular patrols all over the state,” she said. “But those areas will see an increased number of patrols.”

Enforcement officers will do an increased number of spot safety checks on commercial trucks in those areas.

“They check the drivers’ documents to make sure the license, insurance and inspections are all up to date,” she said. “They make sure all appropriate fees are paid, they check lights, and head to toe on the truck. They look at everything.”

The grant of $180,000 comes from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as part of its Increased Commercial Enforcement (ICE) program.