TARGETING BIG RIGS CHP CRACKS DOWN ON UNSAFE TRUCKERS 1,500 OFFICERS KEEP EYE OUT FOR VIOLATIONS.

Byline: Martin Kuz Staff Writer

The California Highway Patrol unfurled a statewide dragnet Thursday to catch unsafe commercial truck drivers who could endanger the lives of other motorists.

The CHP deployed 1,500 officers across the state for the dawn-to-midafternoon crackdown that targeted truckers for both vehicle and moving violations.

``We've got more truck traffic, and more traffic in general, than we've ever had,'' said CHP Sgt. Doug Granger, who oversees truck weigh stations for the patrol's Southern Division, which includes Los Angeles. ``So we want to raise awareness about trucks to help make sure we keep everyone - truck drivers and passenger vehicles - safe.''

Truck-at-fault collisions statewide increased from 10,918 in 1999 to 11,443 last year, according to the CHP. Truck-at-fault fatalities jumped from 80 to 97 during the same span.

In Los Angeles County, truck-at-fault collisions dipped slightly, from 1,141 in 1999 to 1,116 last year. Fatalities remained constant at 21.

On Thursday, the CHP reported that 22 people were injured when a tractor-trailer rammed a school bus near Yucaipa, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles, though no citations were issued because the accident was still being investigated. The bus carried 45 adults and children who were returning to Mexicali, Mexico, after visiting Disneyland.

In the CHP operation Thursday, about 1,000 CHP highway officers joined the patrol's 500 commercial road enforcement officers and weigh-station personnel in the effort.

The operation included inspections at weigh stations, where truckers were cited for violating rig payload restrictions, as well as for driving trucks with such defects as worn brakes and frame cracks. Commercial enforcement officers roved highways and freeways, scanning for speeding or reckless truck drivers.

At the CHP weigh station on the southbound side of the San Diego (405) Freeway in Carson, one trucker was ordered off the road when his rig tipped the scales at about 1,000 pounds over the state's dual-axle weight limit of 34,500 pounds.

``You're looking for something that stands out,'' CHP Officer Juan Rodriguez said as he manned the weigh station shack, his eyes glued to a small electronic monitor that showed the weight of trucks as they passed the underground scales.

``If you see too much tire surface on the ground, you have an idea that the load is too heavy.''

Truck and auto association representatives backed the CHP crackdown.

``We fully support enforcement against unsafe truck driving,'' said Warren Hoemann, vice president of the California Trucking Association. The statewide organization represents 2,500 trucking companies, and has endorsed a proposed state law that would impose entry safety standards on new trucking companies and carriers.

``Our drivers need protection from truck drivers who do not drive safely, just like regular motorists do,'' he said.

Dan Beal, manager of transportation policy for the Automobile Club of Southern California, agreed.

``I think everyone realizes this isn't a single-day issue,'' he said. ``But it's a useful effort by the CHP to focus attention on road safety generally.''

Still, the staggering volume of trucks - which can weigh as much as 40 tons under California payload guidelines - on the state's roadways makes apprehending every last violator an impossible prospect, said Officer Joe Riordan, who works commercial road enforcement.

``It's a Band-Aid,'' he said, referring to the CHP's enforcement efforts. ``What you hope is that by being out here, you get truck drivers to make the attempt to follow the law. But there's always that old saying: Where education fails, enforcement prevails.''

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California Highway Patrol Officer Donald Thorpe inspects trucks at the Carson scale along the San Diego Freeway.

Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer