THP’S “Operation United S.T.O.P.” Thwart Unsafe Activity on State's Roadways
Monday, October 19, 2009 | 11:29am
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24-hour, Multi-Agency Enforcement Campaign Uncovers Violations
NASHVILLE--- The Tennessee Highway Patrol, along with numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, examined more than 1,100 trucks during Operation United S.T.O.P. (Strategic Transportation Observation & Prevention) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009. With a focus on the safe operation and transportation of commodities by commercial vehicles, the intensive 24-hour campaign resulted in 59 drivers and 67trucks being placed out-of-service.
THP Colonel Mike Walker said, “THP’s goal in conducting Operation United S.T.O.P. was to improve the overall level of safety on Tennessee’s highways. With a significant amount of commercial vehicle traffic on Tennessee’s roadways each day, our intent was to uncover any large truck violations and remove any unsafe vehicle and drivers. While a focus was on commercial traffic and random inspections, THP monitored the overall activity on our highways by saturating the roads with all available personnel.”
State Troopers operated eight simultaneous commercial vehicle checkpoints at locations across the state during the duration of the day-long enforcement campaign. In addition to the 1,151 truck inspections, 1,164 citations and warnings were issued to both non-commercial and commercial drivers. During S.T.O.P., State Troopers worked a combined total of 3,546 road enforcement hours.
A total of 22 trucks were found to be overweight and 61 defective commercial vehicles were detected. State Troopers uncovered 23 alcohol and drug related violations, and worked a total of 83 traffic crashes.
“Our federal, state and local partners were invaluable in making Operation United S.T.O.P. such a success. The goals of this enforcement and education initiative would not have been met without their assistance,” said THP Captain Dereck Stewart, who oversees commercial vehicle enforcement.
The multi-agency event included members of TEMA, TBI, TDOT, Homeland Security, FBI, Department of Health, FMCSA, and local city and county law enforcement agencies.
The Tennessee Department of Safety’s (www.TN.gov/safety) mission is to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.