After an unsecured ax flew off the back of a landscaper’s truck and nearly crashed through a driver’s windshield on Route 95 this summer, Massachusetts State Police didn’t waste any time taking action.
Last month, the Massachusetts State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section (CVES), nicknamed the “Truck Team,” initiated a cargo-securement operation, targeting contractor and commercial vehicles hauling unsecured cargo on highways and side roads throughout the state.
Since the start of the operation, the “Truck Team” has written about 370 tickets totaling more than $24,000 worth of citations, according to Boston Magazine. Of those citations, about 82 trucks were put out of service for equipment and safety violations.
“Commercial motorists are reminded that unsecured tools, building material, or other cargo can fly off their trucks and strike motorists traveling behind them,” police said in a statement. “These projectiles have the potential to cause serious injuries. The State Police truck team will continue to make enforcement of this law a priority.”
Police also said that if the driver involved during initial “ax-ident” had been going any faster, the tool, which penetrated half way through the windshield, could have easily gone all the way through the glass and injured the person in the passenger seat.
To see photos of a few of the trucks in violation of unsecured cargo, visit the Massachusetts State Police website by clicking here.
Sources