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2007-44
PRESS RELEASE:  August 17, 2007
FROM:   The Kansas Highway Patrol
CONTACT:  Captain Daniel D. Meyer (785) 296-7189
Lieutenant John A. Eichkorn (785) 296-6800

Trucks Patrolling Northeast Kansas for Safety

TOPS Program on its Second Seven Week Deployment

The second phase of the Kansas Highway Patrol's Trucks on Patrol for Safety (TOPS) program has been traveling the northeast region of Kansas since Monday. The program will be traveling through Kansas for another two weeks. The TOPS program pairs companies and drivers that operate large trucks with the Patrol in an effort to reduce injuries and deaths related to large truck crashes on Kansas' roadways.

The program, supported by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), started its initial seven-week deployment in April. The TOPS program provides troopers an opportunity to ride with professional semi truck drivers. The troopers onboard the large trucks will have a front seat view to witness, document, and report violations to other troopers on patrol in the immediate area. Each week, the violation data is being tabulated and posted on the Kansas Highway Patrol's Web site. Go to http://www.kansashighwaypatrol.org and click on the first item in the "Hot Topics" box. Through TOPS, troopers will enforce state laws and federal regulations in and around large trucks, as well as educate the motoring public of the dangers that exist around semis.

"I want to thank industry and governmental partners that have agreed to work with the Patrol on this important program," said Patrol Superintendent Colonel William R. Seck. "Building and maintaining relationships between the Patrol and the private sector is a key element in achieving our agency's goal to reduce the number of fatality crashes in Kansas. By working together, we can educate more Kansans about traffic safety and ultimately save more lives."

The trucks, trailers, and drivers that the Patrol uses are donated by the industry. The companies partner with the Patrol for a week in a specific region of the state to make these resources available. Each vehicle is equipped with a temporary five-camera system that records the violations of both passenger vehicles and other large trucks. In the northeast region this past week, the driver was a member of the Kansas Motor Carriers Association (KMCA). This is the second seven-week TOPS deployment, which started in July. The second round of enforcement will help evaluate the program’s effectiveness by checking for a decrease in the number of violations.

In 2005, large trucks were involved in 5.7 percent of all traffic crashes and 17.7 percent of all fatal crashes in Kansas. According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, there were 68 fatal collisions involving large trucks. The driver of the large truck had at least one contributing factor in 22 (or 32 percent) of these crashes. There were 3,902 crashes in 2005 involving heavy trucks, which equates to one crash every 2.25 hours involving a large vehicle. In those 3,902 crashes, 81 people were killed and another 1,214 were injured. This demonstrates the need to promote awareness about the safe operation of all vehicles around large trucks.

"There isn't a single Kansan who hasn't been impacted in some way by an automobile crash, either as a victim or as the friend or family member of one. This coordinated effort helps to reduce the number of roadway crashes by promoting safe driving around semi trucks. I want to thank the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the motor carrier industry for forming this partnership that will make our roads safer," said Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

As with all law enforcement agencies, the Kansas Highway Patrol is committed to serving the public, increasing productivity, and promoting safety for all motorists. To help achieve these goals, the Patrol would like drivers to remember these safety tips while sharing the road with large trucks.

  • Stay out of truck blind spots. Although every truck has side mirrors, the driver still has blind spots - areas directly behind and on both sides of the truck where the driver cannot see cars. Look at the truck; if you can't see the driver's side view mirrors, you are in a blind spot and the driver can't see you. If your car is beside a large truck, either drive on past or back off. If you are passing, try to drive your car on the left side, where the blind spot is smaller.
  • Never follow a large truck too closely. Stay behind large trucks by at least one car length for every 10 miles per hour of speed. Providing extra distance allows you to see in front of the truck. If there is congested traffic or a crash ahead of you, you will see it in time to stop or safely steer your car away from the danger.
  • Use extra caution when passing a large truck. After you pass a large truck, do not pull your car back into its traffic lane until you see its headlights in your rearview mirror. Leaving this extra distance gives the truck driver time to slow down or stop if something is happening on the highway ahead.
  • Always remember that a loaded tractor-trailer or semi truck needs as much as 100 yards - the length of a football field - to come to a complete stop. No matter how crowded the highway, make sure to maintain this safe distance. If the truck driver ignores this margin of safety and follows your car too closely, do not take a chance. Move your car into another traffic lane.
  • Always use your turn signal when changing lanes. Drivers around you need to know what you are doing so they can maintain a safe driving distance.
  • Always use seatbelts and child safety seats when appropriate. This is your best defense against injury and death should you become involved in a motor vehicle crash.