Truck Accident News

Yellowstone Commercial Vehicle Inspections Turn Up Dozens Of Violations

All but a handful of the commercial vehicles inspected last week in Yellowstone National Park were found to have some type of safety defect.

National Park Service rangers, special agents and volunteers set up a commercial vehicle inspection checkpoint on U.S. Highway 191 at milepost 22 near the Fawn Pass Trailhead on June 26 and 27.

They conducted unannounced, full-level inspections with the assistance of the Motor Carrier Services Division of the Montana Department of Transportation, the Wyoming Highway Patrol’s Commercial Carrier Division, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Of the 176 commercial trucks and buses inspected, 160 vehicles were discovered to have some kind of safety violation.  Over 100 operators were ticketed.  There were 77 “out-of-service” violations which required either a vehicle or driver to be taken off the road due to serious violations.  Among the worst violations were cracked trailer frames, unsecured loads, or trailers without brakes.

In addition, four undocumented foreign nationals were arrested and turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

This is the eighth year of the interagency inspection program.  Last year’s inspection at Old Faithful focused on buses.  Tickets were issued to 76 of the 144 commercial vehicles and drivers inspected in 2005.

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	Did You Know?
	A driver can be disqualified for one year for a first time conviction of the following offenses while operating a commercial vehicle. Penalties can include: Driving under the influence of alcohol or any drugs; Driving with an alcohol concentration of .04 or more; Leaving the scene of an accident; Using a commercial vehicle in the commission of a felony; or Refusing to take a blood alcohol test. If convicted of any of the above while operating a vehicle placarded for hazardous materials, the disqualification increases to three years.