(AUGUSTA, GA) – Law enforcement officers who patrol stretches of I-20 and I-520 in Richmond, Columbia, and McDuffie counties launched the fourth enforcement wave of the Georgia TACT Program Monday.  The start of the week-long enforcement concentration was announced at a morning news conference at the I-20 Westbound Weigh Station for the Georgia Department of Public Safety.  The G-TACT program, or Georgia Targeting Aggressive Cars and Trucks, is a traffic safety campaign designed to increase driver awareness of the dangers they face with risky driving behaviors around commercial motor vehicles.  The program combines educational outreach with traffic enforcement to reduce the number of crashes between commercial vehicles and much-smaller passenger vehicles.

      Darrell Ruban, Southern Field Administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and Colonel Bill Hitchens, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, announced the enforcement wave. The week-long enforcement area includes I-20 in McDuffie and Columbia counties and I-520 from Gordon Highway to Doug Barnard Parkway in Richmond County.

      Colonel Hitchens said the area was selected for this G-TACT enforcement wave based on traffic crash data.   “Last year, there were 121 crashes in the area that involved a commercial motor vehicle and either other cars or objects.  Those crashes resulted in 94 injuries and five fatalities,” he said.  Commercial motor vehicle crashes with passenger vehicles in Georgia account for an average of 15 percent of Georgia highway fatalities.  Fatal crashes that involve at least one large truck and a passenger vehicle, almost 90 percent of the people killed are occupants of the smaller vehicle.  “And the majority of the commercial vehicle crashes are caused by a driving mistake made by the driver of the smaller passenger vehicle,” he noted.

      In addition to cautioning drivers to “leave more space” this week, law enforcement officers will be watching for drivers of both cars and trucks that are tailgating, changing lanes too quickly, crossing the gore or median, driving recklessly, speeding, driving in the emergency lane, failing to signal when changing lanes, operating a vehicle without an appropriate valid license, and trucks over six wheels traveling in the left lane.

      “Keep a greater distance behind tractor trailers, not only so the driver can see you, but so you can stop in time should the truck driver ahead be forced to take emergency evasive action,” Colonel Hitchens said.  “When you tailgate a tractor trailer, you can’t see what’s in front of the truck and you are not prepared for sudden stops.”

      The Commissioner said billboards, public service announcements, commercial radio spots, specially-wrapped tractor trailers, and safety messages on the Department of Transportation’s Overhead Variable Message Signs are part of the public outreach for the G-TACT campaign.  “For motorists who travel Georgia interstates each day, a crash involving a tractor trailer can cause extensive travel delays, especially when the crash is fatal for a driver or passengers.  We want to reduce travel delays by reducing the number of crashes between passenger cars and commercial vehicles,” he noted.  Additionally, Motor Carrier Compliance Officers will be conducting public information and education activities at the I-20 Eastbound Rest Area through Wednesday providing “Leave More Space” safety brochures to motorists.

      Law enforcement agencies participating in the Georgia TACT program’s I-20/I-520 wave are the Georgia State Patrol, the Department of Public Safety Motor Carrier Compliance Division, and law enforcement officers from Richmond, Columbia, and McDuffie counties.

      The Georgia TACT program is funded with a grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to the Georgia Department of Public Safety.  Additional enforcement waves are planned in the corridors later this year and in early 2009.