Abstract

Kentucky State Police Division of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement in cooperation with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has started a concentrated education and enforcement campaign in an effort to increase the safety and awareness of drivers around commercial vehicles. The University of Kentucky Transportation Center has evaluated this campaign and reported the effectiveness of this effort. This study is a follow‐up to a 2007 study that focused on two high volume, high crash interstate areas: one in northern Kentucky on I‐75, and one in the Louisville area on I‐65. This study’s focus was moved to I‐75 around Fayette County (Lexington) and I‐65 around Hardin County (Elizabethtown). Several blitzes (including a media and enforcement component) were conducted throughout the year. This evaluation measured the success of the campaign by analysis of before and after surveys, traffic speed, headway measurements (distance between moving vehicles) and crash data. The blitzes focused on public awareness, driver behavior and roadway safety. Public awareness was measured using phone surveys. The data show that the media (and in some ways law enforcement efforts) helped to inform motorists about the campaign as more respondents indicated that they changed their behavior around trucks compared to the data from the pre‐evaluation survey. The traffic headway measurements show that larger vehicles leave more space around trucks than smaller vehicles. There were observed decreases in crashes in the TACT corridors, in particular, the original TACT corridors that had two‐years of TACT exposure.

Report Date

2-2010

Report Number

KTC-10-02/KSP-10-1F

Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.13023/KTC.RR.2010.02

Notes

2012 University of Kentucky, Kentucky Transportation Center

Information may not be used, reproduced, or republished without our written consent.

The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the University of Kentucky or the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. The inclusion of manufacturer names and trade names is for identification purposes and is not to be considered an endorsement.

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