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Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
A Nebraska State Patrol officer conducts a through inspection Wednesday as part of a surprise commercial vehicle inspection in Sidney.
Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) beefed up it's numbers in Sidney Wednesday to conduct surprise commercial vehicle inspections.
NSP Sargent Mike Maytum said the officers that came to Sidney to conduct the inspections were from all over the state, essentially tripling the State Trooper population in Sidney for the day.
Morning inspections were conducted at 23rd Ave. and Illinois St., where commercial vehicles were pulled over and thoroughly inspected. The NSP said surprise inspections target commercial vehicles that might not travel outside the city or pass through weigh stations as part of their regular routes.
According to a press release sent out by the NSP, the inspections are performed by the Metropolitan Aggressive and Preventative Selective (MAPS) Team, which is funded largely by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Troopers assigned to the Carrier Enforcement Division of the Nebraska State Patrol check for compliance with federal safety regulations and enforce laws pertaining to weight, size, registration and permits associated with commercial vehicles (trucks, truck tractors, semi-trailers, and buses).
The MAPS Team was implemented in 1998 and consists of troopers from the Nebraska State Patrol's Carrier Enforcement Division.
Maytum said this was the first inspection Cheyenne County has seen of this kind due in part to the county's lower accident rate. However, Maytum said an increase in accidents in the county over the past few years warranted the inspection.
NSP looks at a five year rolling period of county crash rates and determines priority counties that the MAPS Team targets, as a preventive and educational measure.
During the special enforcement effort, the MAPS Team conducted 34 inspections, discovered 101 violations, and took 10 vehicles out of service. Vehicles are placed out of service for a variety of reasons; including bad brakes, bad tires, or other problems that pose immediate safety risks. In addition, one driver was taken out of service for not having a CDL. Officers today issued a total of $1,850 in fines.
This was the 11th MAPS Team event of 2016. Inspectors have also been conducted in Lincoln, Sarpy County, Omaha, Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte, Dawson County, Fremont, Columbus and Norfolk this year. Surprise inspections are planned from spring through fall in cities and towns across Nebraska.
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