Hartford Courant
Tailgating, excessive speed and reckless driving were among the reasons for more than 3,000 citations issued during a crackdown on unsafe commercial trucks that began earlier this month, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Saturday.
Fines totaled more than $644,000, Rell said. She ordered the stepped-up enforcement on Aug. 2, after a series of crashes involving commercial trucks resulted in fatalities, injuries and delays on state highways.
Last week, a tractor-trailer crashed into an overpass on the Merritt Parkway, where such trucks are prohibited, Rell said.
"Fortunately there were no injuries but major headaches for thousands of motorists," Rell said. "This truck safety crackdown sends a strong message that Connecticut laws will be enforced so that we can keep Connecticut highways safe for all."
State police and the Department of Motor Vehicles said 3,629 violations citations have been issued to commercial truckers since Aug. 2, including:
- 159 for speeding, reckless driving or following to closely.
- 94 for failure to use seat belts.
- 233 for oversize vehicles.
- 427 for logbook, registration or license violations.
- 1,069 for faulty lights, brakes or tires.
