WRAL Investigates who's working to keep dangerous trucks off the road
UPDATE FROM HIM COMING UP ON
WRAL NEWS AT 7. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU, BRIAN.
>> TRAILERS ARE THE BIGGEST
AND POTENTIALLY MOST DANGEROUS
VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. THEY CAN
WEIGH UP TO 80,000 POUNDS MORE
THAN 16 TIMES. YOUR TYPICAL
TRUCK, A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED
UNIT IN NORTH CAROLINA IS
MAKING SURE THEY ARE SAFE.
SO YOUR FAMILY IS TO WRAL
INVESTIGATES. SARAH KRUEGER
SHOWS US THE WORK THEY'RE DOING
AND HOW THE BIG TICKET FINES
THAT THEY ISSUE GO RIGHT BACK
INTO OUR COMMUNITIES.
>> NORTH CAROLINA HAS MORE
STATE ROADS THAN ALMOST ANY
OTHER STATE IN THE COUNTRY LAST
YEAR. MORE THAN 15 MILLION
TRACTOR TRAILERS PASSED THROUGH
ACCORDING TO THE HIGHWAY
PATROL, MAKING THIS WORK,
ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT.
>> IF SOMEBODY'S FAMILY IS
RIDING NEXT TO THIS TRUCK.
>> 10 YEARS OF FOCUSING ON
TRACTOR TRAILER SAFETY. THERE'S
COUNTLESS, UNFORTUNATELY
MEMORIES AND
AND COMMERCIAL GOOD. MORE THAN
2 PER SCOTT BAKER HAS SEEN IT
ON TO A QUICK WALK AROUND
INSPECTION OF THE TRUCK.
YOU DON'T MIND, SIR, ROUTINELY
WE WE SEE VIOLATIONS GOING DOWN
A ROAD WHERE THAT PUTIN IS
BROKEN, FALLING OFF.
>> DANGEROUS. HE'S ONE OF 89
MEMBERS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA
HIGHWAY PATROL EXCLUSIVELY
DEDICATED TO ENSURING THE
SAFETY OF THE ROAD'S BIGGEST
VEHICLES AND THEIR DRIVERS.
>> EXCEPT AS THE MOTOR CARRIER
SAFETY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
IT WORKS AT WEIGH STATIONS
ALONG THE HIGHWAY, DOING
INSPECTIONS OF THE TIRES.
BRAKES, LIGHTS AND MORE.
AND ALSO WORKS ANYWHERE ON THE
ROADS. UNLIKE OTHER LAW
ENFORCEMENT EXCEPT TROOPERS CAN
PULL TRUCKS OVER AT ANY TIME,
EVEN WITHOUT PROBABLE CAUSE
TO DO INSPECTIONS, NO
VIOLATIONS ON THEIR FEET.
AND TRAVIS IN GOLD SAYS LAST
YEAR THEY DID MORE THAN
100,000. YOU'RE STOPPING
MULTIPLE TRUCKS A DAY.
>> WHEN YOU FINISH ONE, YOU'RE
LOOKING FOR ANOTHER TRUCK TO
STOP. FEDERAL DATA SHOWS NORTH
CAROLINA CONSISTENTLY RANKS
AMONG THE STATES WITH THE MOST
DEADLY CRASHES INVOLVING
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLES
CITING HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUMES.
VARIABLE GEOGRAPHY AND
INCREASING URBAN POPULATION
HUBS. THESE ARE VEHICLES AND
THEY CAN EASILY TAKE OFF
BRIDGETT BROWN FROM SAMPSON
COUNTY IS GRATEFUL EXCEPT WORK
TO PREVENT CRASHES.
>> 3 YEARS AGO SHE WAS DRIVING
WITH HER 8 YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER'S
WHEN THEIR TRUCK WAS HIT BY
A TRACTOR TRAILER CAUSING
SERIOUS INJURIES. THEY ARE
STILL BATTLING VEHICLE WAYWARD
ROBIN. HONESTLY, LOOK A
CRUMPLED SODA CAN MIX APP CAN
FILE CRIMINAL CHARGES, BUT
USUALLY IT'S CIVIL FINES.
THEY'RE ISSUING.
>> NUMBERS PROVIDED BY THE
HIGHWAY PATROL SHOW MORE THAN
32,000 VIOLATIONS FOUND IN 2024
ALONE AND NEARLY 10 MILLION
DOLLARS IN FINES ONE SINGLE
TICKET CAN COST $10,000
INTENDED. ENGLAND SAYS THE
MONEY ULTIMATELY GOES TO
SCHOOLS THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT
OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. WHILE
HE BELIEVES THAT'S A GOOD USE
FOR HIS TROOPERS, THEY'RE
MOTIVATED BY WANTING TO KEEP
FAMILIES SAFE. THINK ABOUT MY
KIDS. I THINK ABOUT MY LOVED
ONES. MY PARENTS, IT IS
PERSONAL, WHETHER IT'S OUR
FAMILY OR WHETHER TO THEIR
FAMILY WANT TO KEEP EVERYBODY
SAFE. AS FAR AS ONE OF THE
BIGGEST SAFETY EXCEPT SEES,
THEY TOLD ME WITHOUT A DOUBT IT
IS CELL PHONES. IT IS AGAINST
STATE LAW FOR A TRUCK DRIVER TO
EVEN HAVE ONE OF THESE IN THEIR
HANDS. THE HIGHWAY PATROL NOW
IS USING CAMERAS TO CATCH
DRIVERS WHO ARE BREAKING THE