ADOT partners with Hopi Tribe on commercial vehicle safety inspections

PHOENIX – To enhance safety on state highways, the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Enforcement and Compliance Division partnered with the Hopi Tribe to set up a mobile commercial vehicle inspection site on the reservation.

Concerned that overweight semitrailers and those in violation of safety regulations may be using state roads that pass through the Hopi reservation to evade commercial ports of entry, the tribal government reached out to ADOT for assistance. ADOT sent officers to set up a mobile inspection site along State Route 264 near the junction with State Route 87, while officers patrolled other parts of SR 264, SR 87 and Indian Route 2 to ensure that commercial vehicles weren’t evading the mobile inspection site.

Partnering with tribal governments is one way ADOT strives to connect all Arizonans, promote safety and create the nation’s most reliable transportation system.

“We look forward to further developing a relationship with the Hopi Tribe and assisting the need to train local Hopi officers for commercial vehicle enforcement,” said Gary McCarthy, chief of the Enforcement Services Bureau.

Officers checked to ensure that commercial vehicles were in compliance with weight restrictions and permit requirements. They also checked hours of service to ensure that drivers weren’t fatigued and posing a safety risk to themselves and others. They conducted thorough safety inspections on the commercial vehicles.

Hopi law enforcement officers and members of the tribal council visited the inspection site to show support for ADOT’s presence, and Hopi officers expressed interest in becoming certified to inspect commercial vehicles.

“The effort in total was a success and greatly appreciated,” said Michael Lomayaktewa, director of the Hopi Department of Transportation. “Acknowledging and meeting our request shows that we are viewed as important as Arizona’s metropolitan cities while experiencing similar issues.”