Erik Estrada would
be proud.
In response to a
number of accidents along three major roadways in the state, the California
Highway Patrol has started a 15-month crackdown on unsafe drivers. But unlike
many such efforts that place the blame squarely on the shoulders of truckers,
this enforcement operation is aimed at big rigs and four-wheelers.
“Most truckers are
true professionals, but there are a number who are overly aggressive,” CHP
spokesperson Wayne Ziese told the San Jose Mercury News.
“And, we are going
to be targeting (auto) drivers, like those who cut truckers off at the last
moment.”
According to the Times-Herald,
the $1.7 million enforcement effort will fund faster, more stealthy patrol cars
and more than 3,200 hours of overtime for officers.
The enforcement
effort will primarily take place on three roadways in northern California:
Interstate 880 from San Jose to Oakland, I-580 from Hayward to the Altamont
Pass and I-80 from the Bay Bridge to Dixon in Solano County.
Although the effort
has been in the planning stages for months, a series of recent fatal accidents – including the deaths of three people after their car cut in front of a truck
– have pushed the crackdown’s July 20 start date into the limelight.
“The vast majority
of problems I see with big rigs are cars not giving them enough room, or big
rigs trying to bully their way into places,” Roger Hook, a frequent commuter on
the newly enforced interstates, told the Mercury News. “If they can stop
this kind of behavior, then sharing the road with them will be much simpler,
not to mention safer.”
– By Aaron
Ladage, staff writer
aaron_ladage@landlinemag.com
