‘Ghost truck’ detail to help police target unsafe driving around semi trucks

This week, the Indiana State Police (ISP) are gearing up for a major enforcement effort designed to catch those who are distracted behind the wheel or driving aggressively near commercial motor vehicles.

On July 14, the ISP’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) will team up with the ISP’s Lowell, Toll Road, Indianapolis, Sellersburg, and Pendleton District for a Trooper in a Truck (also known as a “ghost truck“) enforcement detail. The ISP Aviation Section will be assisting in the effort in the Pendleton District as well.

“CVED has conducted Trooper in a Truck type patrols for the last few years, except in 2020.  Most have been small events in the vicinity of Indianapolis.  This year’s event will be much larger and, for the first time, will take place simultaneously in several areas across the state,” ISP said in a news release

During the single day enforcement effort, troopers will ride along with commercial drivers looking for any aggressive or unsafe driving behaviors. Troopers will especially be on the lookout for distracted driving and violations of Indiana’s “hand free” law.

The event is being held in partnership with the Indiana Motor Truck Association.

“The Indiana Motor Truck Association and its member carriers are partnering with ISP in this endeavor by providing the trucks and drivers”, said Major Jon Smithers, ISP CVED Commander.  “The IMTA and CVED have long had a strong and mutually supportive relationship as improving highway safety is a shared goal.  The IMTA and its members have long been leading advocates for the implementation and enforcement of a strong and effective hands-free law and are passionate about educating our citizens about the dangers of distracted driving”, Smithers continued. 

According to the ISP news release, “Crashes involving large trucks are often high profile and may result in tragic consequences. While the statistics vary some, studies show that in crashes involving large trucks, it is more often the case in which it is the fault of the other vehicle.  A large, heavy truck is far less maneuverable and takes substantially more distance to stop than a smaller vehicle. Unsafe, aggressive driving behaviors near a truck may lead to disastrous results.”

Troopers in many other states participate in similar “trooper in a truck” enforcement efforts, including Nebraska and Illinois.

Check out the video below for a closer view of a previous “ghost truck” detail conducted by ISP.