Week-long semi truck crackdown underway by state police

Washington State Police (WSP) say that they are in the midst of a week-long commercial vehicle enforcement detail in the Tacoma area.

This week, WSP are increasing patrols on a ten mile stretch of I-5 in Pierce County to try to catch truckers driving dangerously. The truck crackdown is taking place in both the northbound and southbound lanes between Highway 512 and Highway 18, according to KOMO News.

The big rig enforcement detail will be going on from now through March 1.

Troopers patrolling I-5 will be on the lookout for commercial vehicle drivers who are speeding, driving aggressively, not wearing seat belts, driving distracted, following too closely, or changing lanes unsafely. WSP says that they’ll ticket any driver, whether passenger vehicle or commercial vehicle, who violates the law, but their emphasis will be on truck drivers.

WSP says that the truck enforcement detail is in response to an increase in “high profile” semi truck crashes on I-5 in the Tacoma area in recent months.

Trooper Andy Stoeckle says that the WSP has another truck enforcement detail planned soon, but this one will be unannounced.

“Watch your speed, increase your following distance, put your electronic device down,” Stoeckle advised.