Approximately three decades ago, the State of Louisiana and the United States Department of Transportation teamed up in an effort to uniformly enforce the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations along with the Federal Hazardous Material Regulations.
Following this, the Motor Carrier Safety Unit of the Louisiana State Police was formed to meet the stringent needs laid down by the United States Department of Transportation with respect to commercial automobile inspection and the thorough inspection of drivers of commercial automobiles. The unit was also made responsible for reporting the body of data which was generated by such inspections.
This step was taken to help decrease the number of accidents and attempt to combat the dangerousness of truck accidents and other commercial automobile accidents in Louisiana. In order to aid and assist the goal, a roadside safety program was launched along with reeducation of the masses outreach project. The significance and efficacy of an all-inclusive educational outreach program has always been recognized by authorities regarding road safety matters.
In order to bring about a positive change regarding the number of truck accident cases, the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and the Louisiana Forestry Association now work together to increase awareness and knowledge about safety on highways.
Several such programs have been successfully launched by authorities in the state over the years which have helped reduce the number of truck accidents and other accidents in the state. Today, it is a matter of pride to all residents of Louisiana, that the number of commercial vehicle accidents has decreased in the state, along with the incidence of DUI cases involving commercial drivers. Also, due to the inspection of drivers of commercial vehicles, instances of inexperienced driving of heavy motor vehicles have also plunged.
Source: LSP.org, “MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (MCSAP),” accessed on Nov. 13, 2014