The News Room [News Archive]

Border Enforcement Unit

UNIT FACTS:

• Previous enforcement unit had been disbanded in 2002.
• New unit has six full time officers. Another nine officers who do border patrol supplement the unit’s efforts by citing overweight/unsafe violators when they encounter them.
• Unit is self funding through the fine revenues
• More than 400 citations written since January, 2004
  • half for overweight, half for mechanical violations

OVERWEIGHT FACTS:

• Overloaded trucks cause up to $1 billion in roadway damage a year in the United States.
• Taxpayers end up footing the bill and riding on poor roads as a result.
• One overloaded truck causes as much damage to a road as 30,000 – 40,000 passenger vehicles.
• This year we’ve ticketed more than 400 large trucks. Half have been significantly overweight.
• Some trucks face potential fines of up to $10,000 and $12,000 [That’s a lot, considering fine rates start out at about 3 cents per pound that a truck is overweight].

UNSAFE FACTS:

• Last year there were 40 serious accidents in Michigan caused by commercial trucks with mechanical problems. 15 people were injured and one was killed.
• Half of our citations this year have been for unsafe vehicles [about 200].
• Officers have had to take 15 trucks out of commission because of the severity of their mechanical problems.
• Frequent problems encountered include over- and under-inflated tires, brake problems, steering problems, leaking hydraulic fluids and missing safety equipment, such as mirrors.

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