text: Police increasing patrol presence on interstate - schurz-southbendtribune
  August 13, 2006|By JOSHUA STOWE Tribune Staff Writer
  SOUTH BEND Â? Smarter semi truck inspections and beefed-up patrols should improve driver behavior along the Indiana Toll Road, making the interstate safer, Indiana State Police say.
  The heavier patrols will be a benefit of the stateÂ?s decision to lease the Toll Road to a Spanish-Australian consortium.
  The inspections, which are already in place, are an effort to address what police think is the primary cause of semi accidents.
  In mid-July, state police announced that money from the 75-year lease agreement will allow the agency to increase the number of troopers patrolling the Toll Road from around 20 to more than 40.
  Â?Just the sheer police presenceÂ? will help, according to Sgt. Trent Smith of Indiana State Police. Â?As people see more and more police cars up there ... theyÂ?ll start to slow down a little more, theyÂ?ll start to pay attention a little more.Â?
  Change in inspections
  In the last year or so, state police have shifted the primary focus of their semi inspections from spotting mechanical problems to catching poor driver behavior, according to Capt. Brent Bible of the agencyÂ?s commercial vehicle enforcement division.
  When an officer stops a semi, he or she may have done so because the driver committed a moving violation, Bible said. Or the officer might just want to check several things.
  During an inspection, police look at the driverÂ?s log book to make sure theyÂ?ve properly recorded their duty time. Semi operators can drive 11 hours without a break, Bible said, but then have to be off the road for 10 hours before continuing their trip.