Ohio Highway Watch program

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.