California Highway Patrol Honors Drivers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Professional truck drivers are among the best trained and safest drivers on the road. Many of these commercial drivers make personal sacrifices to deliver freight safely and on time. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) joins the trucking industry in saluting these drivers for their hard work and commitment during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, September 16 – 22, 2012.

“There are millions of commercial drivers who safely travel on California’s highways each day,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Sometimes it is difficult to appreciate what the trucking industry does for us. One way for fellow motorists to show appreciation is to remember that trucks accelerate and stop at a slower rate than passenger vehicles, and the truck driver’s ability to see other vehicles is limited.”

According to CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), commercial vehicles are involved in approximately five percent of the collisions that occur in California every year. The same SWITRS data also shows a 30 percent decrease in the number of truck- involved collisions from 2006-2010. Additionally, there has been a 33 percent decrease in truck- at-fault collisions during that same time period.

The CHP manages safety oversight of approximately 7.4 million commercial vehicles, which travel approximately 30 million miles on 105,000 miles of roadway in California each year. The CHP works with industry advocates and commercial vehicle operators to ensure the safe operations of commercial vehicles on California’s highways.

The CHP extends its appreciation to the trucking industry for their tireless efforts in promoting highway safety. In doing so, the CHP facilitates Trucker Appreciation Days periodically during the year at its commercial enforcement facilities throughout the state.