Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks in Washington State: High Visibility Enforcement Applied to Share the Road Safely

Nerup, Penny; Salzberg, Philip; VanDyk, Jonna; Porter, Lowell; Blomberg, Richard D.; Thomas, F. Dennis; Cosgrove, Linda A. · 2006 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report evaluates the "Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks" (TACT) pilot project in Washington State, an 18-month initiative designed to reduce fatalities and injuries caused by unsafe driving behaviors around commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Motivated by a 2004 Congressional directive for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to educate motorists on sharing the road safely, the project applied the high-visibility enforcement model of the "Click It or Ticket" campaign to aggressive driving. The primary objective was to decrease specific unsafe maneuvers, particularly "cutting off" trucks, by combining intensive enforcement with public education and media campaigns. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design involving four interstate corridors, each approximately 25 miles long. Two corridors served as intervention sites (I-5 near Olympia and Bellingham), while two served as comparison sites (I-5 near Kelso and I-90 near Spokane). The intervention included two two-week enforcement waves in July and September 2005, during which law enforcement officers in CMVs and unmarked vehicles observed and ticketed violations. This enforcement was supported by a media campaign featuring radio advertisements, newspaper ads, and innovative road signs conveying the message to "leave more space" when passing trucks. Data collection included public awareness surveys administered by the Washington State Department of Licensing and video recordings of driving behaviors captured by troopers following semi-trucks. The results demonstrated significant effectiveness across multiple metrics. During the enforcement periods, officers made 4,737 driver contacts, with 72% resulting in citations. Public awareness surveys revealed that the percentage of drivers at intervention sites who reported seeing or hearing TACT messages increased from 17.7% in the pre-intervention period to 67.3% post-intervention. Self-reported behavior also improved, with the proportion of drivers stating they leave more room when passing trucks rising from 16% to 24% at intervention sites, while comparison sites showed no change. Crucially, objective video analysis confirmed these self-reports; statistical analysis indicated a significant reduction in violation rates at intervention sites, with reductions ranging from 23% to 46%, whereas rates remained constant at comparison sites. Additionally, post-intervention violations were rated by experts as less serious, less intentional, and lower in crash risk than pre-intervention violations. The study concludes that applying the high-visibility enforcement model to unsafe driving around large trucks effectively increases driver knowledge, alters attitudes, and reduces observed aggressive behaviors. The integration of enforcement with targeted media, particularly the innovative road signs, proved successful in communicating safety messages. The findings suggest that such selective traffic enforcement programs can produce rapid, measurable gains in highway safety. However, the authors note limitations regarding the long-term persistence of these effects, as final measures were collected shortly after the intervention ended. The project provides a replicable model for other states aiming to improve safety interactions between passenger vehicles and commercial trucks.

Key finding

Violation rates at intervention sites decreased by 23 to 46 percent while remaining constant at comparison sites.

Methodology

field_study

Sample size: 1843

Provenance

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Topics

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• public messaging
• seat belt use
• regulatory evaluation
• rail grade crossings
• automated enforcement cameras

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, crash risk outcomes