Enforcement Initiative Conducted Throughout the State to Reduce Commercial Motor Vehicle Crashes

On August 10, 2021members of New Hampshire State Police – Troop G conducted an enforcement initiative to reduce the amount of motor vehicle crashes involving commercial motor vehicles.  Troopers from Troop G specifically focused their enforcement efforts on ensuring that vehicles were driving in a safe manner.  Troopers also conducted roadside inspections of commercial motor vehicles throughout the State to ensure that drivers were compliant with hours of service, that drivers had obtained proper licensing credentials, that commercial motors vehicles were in safe mechanical operating condition, and that they complied with size and weight laws.   Members of Troop G are highly skilled Troopers who have received specialized training to conduct roadside inspections of commercial motor vehicles.  In addition, members of Troop G regulate and enforce laws and rules governing automotive dealerships and the State of New Hampshire Safety Inspection program.

During the daylong event, Troopers inspected a total of 164 commercial motor vehicles.  Troopers issued four CVSA decals to commercial motor vehicles that passed a Level I inspection where no critical violations were found according to the North American Standard Out-of- Service Criteria.  Troopers also discovered 257 violations, of which 40 were so severe that they created a condition where the vehicle or its driver was placed out of service.  In total, 17 vehicles were placed out of service for critical safety violations such as inoperative brakes and worn steering components, while 4 drivers were placed out of service for violations including not possessing a valid medical certificate, not maintaining records of driving hours, operating while under suspension and not holding the proper class of driver’s license.  Troopers issued 20 citations as a result of commercial motor vehicle inspections.  23 commercial vehicles were also checked for size and weight enforcement.  Troopers also stopped several passenger vehicles that failed to comply with State of New Hampshire Safety Inspection requirements.

In Conway, TFC Turner stopped a truck/trailer combination owned and operated by a company out of Halifax, VT while travelling on Route 302 in Conway. The truck failed to display company markings and a USDOT registration number. Upon establishing contact with the driver/owner, TFC Turner developed probable cause to believe there was marijuana within the CMV. The operator, upon being confronted, supplied TFC Turner with a burnt roach and then two separate glass jars of fresh marijuana and additional burn roaches. The operator was placed OOS for 24 hours as a result for this violation and cited accordingly.  The trailer, subject of this inspection was also placed out of service for a brake violation. The operator was warned for not possessing a valid med cert, not conducting a pre-trip inspection, his log not being current and failing to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The New Hampshire State Police are committed to ensuring safe travel throughout the State and will continue our efforts to reduce collisions and traffic fatalities.