Kentucky State Police to participate in Operation SafeDRIVE

FRANKFORT, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement division will participate in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Operation SafeDRIVE (Distracted Reckless Impaired Visibility Enforcement) from May 21-23, 2024. This campaign targets unsafe driving behaviors that often lead to crashes involving passenger cars and commercial vehicles and supports national efforts to educate all drivers on safely sharing roads with large trucks.

A release states the SafeDRIVE initiative cracks down on dangerous interstate driving behaviors such as aggressive driving, speeding, tailgating, failing to wear a seat belt, distracted driving, and driving under the influence. During this effort, KSP Commercial Vehicle Inspectors will open scale facilities to ensure commercial drivers follow safety regulations, including hours of service compliance, commercial driver license compliance, medical certification, and commercial motor vehicle credentialing.

Sgt. Jason Morris, spokesperson for the West Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, highlighted in the press release that 62 percent of fatal large truck crashes involve two or more vehicles.

“With warmer weather, traffic on our highways increases, raising the possibility of crashes due to dangerous driving behaviors like aggressive or distracted driving,” said Morris. “Crashes are preventable, and this initiative will remind drivers to focus on the road and keep everyone safe as they travel through Kentucky.”

KSP encourages all motorists to take the following advice while driving:

• Stay out of blind spots: Large trucks and buses have significant blind spots on all four sides.
• Pass safely: Ensure you can see the truck driver in their side mirror. Use turn signals, avoid lingering in blind spots, and ensure you can see the commercial vehicle in your rearview mirror before pulling in front.
• Don’t cut off large vehicles: A large truck traveling at 65 MPH needs the length of two football fields to stop.
• Don’t tailgate: Tailgating a commercial vehicle places you in a blind spot.

The press release also notes that Operation SafeDRIVE coordinates with the national campaign “Our Roads, Our Safety,” run by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which educates all motorists on how to share the road safely.

The mission of KSP, as stated in the press release, is to promote public safety through service, integrity, and professionalism, using partnerships to prevent, reduce, and deter crime and the fear of crime, enhance highway safety through education and enforcement, safeguard property, and protect individual rights.