COUNTYWIDE : CHP Gold Zeroes In on Speeding Trucks
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California Highway Patrol officials in Santa Ana on Friday unveiled a new, well-disguised squad car that they hope will help slow down speeding big-rig trucks.
The new car, which is painted gold with white doors instead of the traditional black-and-white, is one of 16 Highway Patrol cars being deployed up and down the state. The cars will be driven by CHP officers in full uniform.
Injury and fatal accidents in which a truck driver was at fault have climbed by nearly 68%, from 3,320 in 1982 to 5,565 in 1988, according to the CHP.
In 1987, the CHP conducted a yearlong pilot program in which specially marked vehicles were assigned to five freeway segments with heavy truck traffic, including Santa Ana and Westminster. State Sen. John Seymour (R-Anaheim) authored legislation ordering the study. The program reduced the number of truck-caused injury accidents by 11.2% compared to the previous year. Fatal accidents caused by trucks dropped 33%.
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