BIG RIG SAFETY CRACKDOWN ON TRUCKING.

Byline: Kathleen Sweeney Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Along the stretch of the Golden Gate Freeway known as the Five-Mile Grade, they sat quietly Thursday morning, waiting and watching. Their prey: big-rig drivers.

California Highway Patrol officers launched a statewide program to crack down on unsafe driving by commercial truckers in an effort to reduce the number of truck-related crashes, which increased last year.

``Statewide traffic accidents involving big rigs are up,'' said Doug Sweeney, CHP spokesman. ``As a statewide effort, we are trying to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving these big rigs.''

More than 15 extra officers patrolled Santa Clarita freeways Thursday on the lookout for speeding, unsafe lane changes, tailgating, improper turns, right-of-way violations and failure to heed stop signs and signals. They also watched for signs of driver fatigue or use of alcohol and drugs. The program is aimed not only at drivers of the tractor-trailer trucks, but also at drivers of smaller vehicles who follow too closely or make other unsafe moves near the big rigs.

From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., at least 120 tickets were issued to drivers traveling between Templin Highway and Lake Hughes Road and at the Interstate 5 and Antelope Valley Freeway interchange.

The CHP implemented the program after truck-involved crashes increased statewide from 10,918 in 1999 to 11,443 in 2000, including 97 fatalities last year compared with 80 in 1999 from such crashes.

In the Santa Clarita Valley, there were 253 truck-involved crashes from January through June in 2000, and so far this year there have been 257.

In the crackdown that will last for months, extra patrols twice a week will focus on big rigs and on other motor vehicles that cause or contribute to the truckers' problems, Sweeney said. The patrols could be anywhere, at any time, he said.

CHP Officer Frank Schulz spent Thursday morning patrolling the south lane of Interstate 5 just past Templin Highway. He issued four citations within two hours.

``For the most part, the trucks are being pretty good and are keeping the speed,'' he said.

Trucker Keith Byerly, who was heading from Bakersfield to South Gate with a load of oil, heard about the patrol on the citizens' band radio, so it was no surprise.

``It helps for the day or two, while they are out there,'' he said. ``It seems to be slowing them down today.''

Although truckers, often in a hurry to deliver their loads, slow down when they know officers are watching, speed increases later, Byerly said.

``We all go faster than we should,'' he said.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) California Highway Patrol Officer Frank Schulz, above, who has signaled a trucker to pull off Interstate 5 near Castaic, opens his ticket book. Below, he writes the ticket to the trucker, who has stopped ahead of Schulz.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer