Commercial Vehicle Collisions On I-10 On The Upswing

In an effort to combat collisions involving commercial vehicles traveling throughout the Coachella Valley, personnel from the Desert Hills Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility and the Indio Area participated in a joint task force Wednesday, with a focus on commercial vehicle moving violations, such as speeding and driving out of lane, according to a statement from the California Highway Patrol.

Officers targeted areas in the Coachella Valley where there has been a high incidence of traffic collisions involving large commercial vehicles. Commercial vehicle related collisions were on the upswing in 2011. The Coachella Valley region saw 152 commercial-vehicle related collisions, up from 120 in 2010. These collisions resulted in numerous injuries and over 100 hours of full or partial road/lane closures on Interstate 10 and other local state routes. In addition, five people tragically lost their lives as a result of commercial vehicle related collisions.

With this information, Desert Hills Facility Commander, Lieutenant Laura Quattlebaum coordinated the special enforcement detail. ?It is imperative we continue to take a proactive approach to our enforcement efforts and target those areas where there has been a significant increase in collisions.? Officers deployed throughout the Coachella Valley, on those high volume highways, used the latest technology to nab speeding commercial vehicles.

?It is our hope this proactive approach will help to reduce commercial vehicle related collisions in 2012. Enforcement efforts, along with a coordinated educational campaign, will continue throughout 2012, to assist us in this endeavor,? Lieutenant Quattlebaum.

For additional information, please contact the Desert Hills Commercial Enforcement Facility Public Information Officer Keith Loonsfoot, at (951) 849-5646