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State Police Launch ‘Electronic’ Safety Campaign
for Commercial Drivers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 28, 2024
LANSING, MICH. Beginning today, the Michigan State Police (MSP) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) will extend the reach of its safety and enforcement messaging directly to commercial truck drivers by sending important safety messages to their existing Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs).
Per federal rule, all interstate truckers must have an ELD to record their hours of service (HOS). The ELD is intended to make it easier to track driver duty status, improve compliance with HOS rules and create a safer work environment for commercial drivers.
Using the Smart Roadways service developed by Drivewyze, Inc., MSP motor carrier officers will be able to send safety alerts regarding roadway hazards or enforcement operations direct to commercial drivers to allow them time to slow down or otherwise prepare for what may lie ahead. These short messages, no more than 25 characters in length, which can be geo-targeted to a specific area, appear in large letters on a bright yellow background on the driver’s dash-mounted ELD. Michigan is one of several states to use this service.
“Safer commercial drivers make for safer roadways for all roadway users,” said MC Insp. Patrick Morris of MSP/CVED. “Coupled with continued education and enforcement, digital messaging direct to commercial drivers is another way our motor carrier officers are working to increase traffic safety and reduce traffic crashes and injuries on Michigan roads.”
As part of this initiative, there will be increased traffic safety enforcement and outreach in an effort to deter unsafe driving behaviors by commercial motor vehicle drivers. Motor carrier officers will be on the lookout for driver behavior violations that cause vehicle crashes, such as speeding, following too closely, improper lane changes, reckless or careless driving, and texting/hand-held use of a phone while driving.
“In the future, we plan to use this messaging tool before heavy driving holidays or when there are particular driving hazards we would like drivers to be aware of,” added Morris.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
MC Insp. Patrick Morris, MSP/CVED, [email protected] or 810-701-0569
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