Crackdown on unsafe semis in Grays Harbor Co.
06:05 PM PST on Friday, February 15, 2008
By DREW MIKKELSEN / KING 5 News
Crackdown finds big rig problems SEATTLE – A crackdown on truck drivers suggests an overwhelming majority of semis have something wrong with them.
One of the drivers pulled over recently in Grays Harbor County was ticketed for being 66,000 pounds overweight – a new Washington state record.
It also set another state record – a nearly $17,000 ticket.
Grays Harbor Sheriff's deputies partially blame commercial trucks with an exceptionally high number of fatal collisions, so the county and the Washington State Patrol increased their truck inspections for two days this week.
Of the 163 trucks inspected, 94 percent were cited for moving or mechanical violations. In 34 percent of those trucks, the violations were so severe, they had to be taken out of service.
"Not all of the industry is being as careful as they could about quality and the conditions of their trucks," said Grays Harbor Co. Undersheriff Rick Scott.
The day after the stepped-up patrols, the driver of one truck lost control and rolled into a ditch.
"He had lost sensation in the lower extremities when they transported him," said Lt. Matt Stowers, Grays Harbor Co. Sheriff's Office.
Investigators say there was no seatbelt in the cab. Speed was a factor, but police say mechanical problems with the truck also played a role.
"You have to take it seriously otherwise somebody's going to get hurt," said truck driver Vince Carson. He has received minor violations while driving his truck for the last seven years, but he considers himself safer then most car drivers and says no industry is as regulated as trucking.
"To me, sometimes, it's nit-picking, sometimes it's not. I mean sure, there are truck drivers that are doing the wrong things," said Carson.
The truck that got the record-setting ticket is owned by the Dilley and Solomon Logging Company. It had no comment on the citation