Commercial motor vehicle safety along the West Virginia Turnpike has been a priority for law enforcement agencies in recent months as the number of accidents—particularly accidents involving fatalities—has risen, according to an official at the W.Va. Public Service Commission.

In a coordinated effort to increase safety for the West Virginia traveling public, transportation enforcement officers with the Public Service Commission today are participating in a five-state truck inspection blitz that stretches from Cleveland, Ohio, to Columbia, South Carolina.

The inspections are being conducted in West Virginia by six officers who are stopping trucks and issuing citations for safety violations, speeding, seatbelt and distracted driving infractions, hours of service violations, and insufficient driver credentials, according to commission chair Charlotte Lane, who rode along with a PSC officer on the turnpike.

“Public awareness activities like today’s five-state blitz are a reminder to drivers that we are watching, and violations of the law and unsafe driving will not be tolerated,” Lane said.

The PSC recently added an additional full-time patrol unit to the turnpike, she said.

Officers in West Virginia performed Level II and III inspections, conducting complete walk-arounds of the trucks looking for lighting violations, load securement violations, and other safety issues.

They also examined the drivers’ credentials, including commercial driver licenses, medical cards, hours of service logs, vehicle ownership, insurance, and authorities.

Officers from Virginia and North Carolina also participated in the crackdown.