Updated on: 11/7/2019
The Seattle Department of Transportation will be cracking down on truck inspections, as many dangerous trucks drive on Washington State roads every day from the Port of Seattle. Recent truck inspection data uncovers the dangers of these trucks.
There were only two commercial vehicle inspectors on the job for years. The Washington State Patrol saw signs and knew the inspectors we overwhelmed.
"There was no quality to those inspections," said Trooper Christopher Hooper, when asked how good a job SDOT was doing. "Maybe they were rushed or they weren't even done," said Hooper.
There were only two commercial vehicle inspectors on the job for years. The Washington State Patrol saw signs and knew the inspectors we overwhelmed.
"There was no quality to those inspections," said Trooper Christopher Hooper, when asked how good a job SDOT was doing. "Maybe they were rushed or they weren't even done," said Hooper.
As trucks enter and exit port facilities around Harbor Island, and are carrying shipping containers. Since these routes are all over the Puget Sound, the inspections are very important to road safety due to the danger they can potentially cause other drivers.
Due to this potential risk, the WSP attempted to launch their own truck inspections. The SDOT was not happy with this.
"I made a call to the State Patrol and I said, 'When you do work on Seattle streets, give me a heads-up. This is our jurisdiction,'" said SDOT's Don Smith, who leads the truck inspection team.
It was reported that SDOT is concerned with the flow of the freight and the inspections can interfere with this. The Port of Seattle is competing with other west coast ports to move freight faster and cheaper.
However, this competitive edge is causing trucks and drivers to be a huge threat to Washington State roadways, as trucking accidents commonly cause serious injuries or even death.
The port commission does not have regulations that give safety a higher priority.
The Seattle Police Department recently trained four officers to become commercial vehicle inspection experts. Those officers will help with truck safety enforcement after the State Patrol task force winds down.
If you have been injured in a trucking accident, contact personal injury attorney Chris Davis immediately to recover fair compensation for your injuries. Call Davis Law Group at (206) 727-4000 to schedule a free consultation today.