
What is the Ohio Highway Watch program?
- The Highway Watch program is a volunteer effort by professional truck
drivers committed to the safety of the motoring public.
- A partnership between the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the Ohio
Trucking Association and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
- Administered by the ATA and funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration.
- The Highway Watch program is currently running in eight states Arkansas,
Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon and Virginia.
How does the Ohio Highway Watch program work?
- Professional truck drivers are specially trained to use their wireless
location and communication technology to report crashes, breakdowns,
hazardous road conditions and other highway dangers to the appropriate
authorities.
- Drivers are given a specific toll-free number to call and report
incidents. The call center takes an incident report and refers it to the
proper authorities as determined by each individual state.
- To become a Highway Watch driver, all drivers must receive comprehensive
training from law enforcement officers on what to look for on the highway,
how emergencies should be reported, the appropriate numbers to call, safe
and responsible wireless phone use and how the Highway Watch program
coordinates with other emergency and highway personnel.
How will this program help with Homeland Security?
- Trucking is a large and diverse industry with more than three million
drivers -- a potential army of eyes and ears to monitor for security
threats.
- Truck drivers are already immersed in the language and business of safety
– it is one of the primary concerns of their occupation. The road, weigh
stations, truck stops, fueling centers and rest areas are their workplace,
and they are very aware of suspicious activity and behavior, security
threats, and unusual cargoes. Keeping watch is a daily activity for truck
drivers.
- Truck drivers can easily be trained to recognize particular hazards or
identify unusual activity; e.g.: trucks hauling hazardous waste; suspicious
CB radio traffic; curious requests from strangers; staged traffic crashes;
etc.
- Truck drivers are everywhere – ports, airports, malls, bridges, tunnels
-- thus giving greater range to homeland security observation efforts.
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Highway Watch page
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State Highway Patrol homepage