Opinion: It’s time to put more troopers in trucks to curb dangerous driving around big rigs

Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Fleetworthy, Rob Abbott, argues that Congress should expand funding for programs like “Trooper in a Truck” to tackle unsafe behaviors by passenger vehicle drivers around commercial trucks. Abbott highlights that passenger-vehicle drivers cause most car-truck crashes—nearly three-quarters of fatal crashes, according to historical data—and that truck drivers have long complained about reckless “four-wheeler” behavior. Programs placing law enforcement officers in the passenger seats of tractor-trailers have proven effective, with officers spotting violations like texting, aggressive lane changes, and improper passing before coordinating with patrol units to initiate traffic stops. States including Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Wyoming have adopted such initiatives, with Wyoming officers initiating 36 traffic stops during a single three-hour ride-along. Despite their success, these programs remain rare due to a 10% funding cap imposed by Congress in 2015 on the $500 million annually distributed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to state and local agencies for commercial vehicle safety. Most of this funding is directed toward roadside truck inspections, which address equipment issues like lighting, brakes, and tires—factors with weaker correlations to crash risk compared to unsafe driving behaviors, per FMCSA data. Abbott urges Congress to revisit the 10% cap, arguing that redirecting resources toward addressing the most dangerous behaviors—those of passenger vehicle drivers—would better align with the FMCSA’s mission to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. The call comes as truck drivers, who face high standards for skills and background checks, continue to bear the brunt of crashes caused by less-regulated passenger vehicle drivers.