Governor’s Office of Highway Safety grants help ADOT promote safe commercial travel
Governor’s Office of Highway Safety grants help ADOT promote safe commercial travel
Enforcement and Compliance Division receives nearly $70,000 for efforts
PHOENIX – Two grants from the Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety will help Arizona Department of Transportation Enforcement and Compliance Division (ECD) officers promote safe commercial travel on state highways.
The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety awarded ECD $36,654 for DUI enforcement overtime reimbursement and to purchase 10 portable alcohol breath-testing devices. The former will help ECD officers participate in multi-agency commercial vehicle DUI enforcement around major holidays and events. Being able to test for intoxication at commercial ports of entry will reduce the need for ECD officers to call on area law enforcement agencies when enforcing laws related to commercial vehicles.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has established 0.04% as the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above which a commercial motor vehicle driver is considered to be under the influence of alcohol and subject to sanctions in federal regulations. This BAC is half of Arizona’s legal limit for adult drivers of passenger vehicles.
A $30,491 grant will reimburse ECD for the purchase of 10 window tint meters and four laser devices that can tell whether a commercial vehicle isn’t maintaining a safe following distance. Tinting material that makes vehicle glass too dark limits a commercial driver’s vision. Unsafe following distance is a major contributor to crashes and can be a sign that a commercial vehicle driver is fatigued, distracted or impaired.
“We’re grateful to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for supporting ADOT’s work to protect Arizonans through commercial vehicle enforcement at and around commercial ports of entry,” ADOT Director Jennifer Toth said.
ADOT’s ECD protects Arizona’s transportation infrastructure and promotes road safety through the inspection of commercial vehicles at the state’s ports of entry and mobile inspection stations. Duties performed by its ECD personnel include conducting vehicle identification inspections and conducting investigations related to vehicle dealers, title fraud and driver license and state identification fraud.
The Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety is the focal point for highway safety issues in Arizona. The cabinet agency provides leadership by developing, promoting and coordinating programs; influencing public and private policy; and increasing public awareness of highway safety.
For more information about the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, please visit gohs.az.gov.
For more information about ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division, please visit azdot.gov/enforcement.