SOME TENTATIVE FINDINGS ABOUT THE EFFECT OF LEVEL OF ENFORCEMENT ON COMPLIANCE WITH TRUCK WEIGHT REGULATIONS

Highways agencies all over the world recognize that overweight trucks are a major cause of premature pavement deterioration. Almost all highway agencies, therefore, enforce truck axle and gross weight limits by inspections at permanent weigh scales and by mobile patrol units. However, little is known about the effect of the level of enforcement on the degree of compliance with the weight limits. To fill this gap in the literature, this paper presents the context, methodology and tentative results of three studies of the effect of enforcement on compliance carried out on provincial highways in Saskatchewan. Analysis of the data from the 12 permanent weigh scales situated on primary highways indicated that as the inspection rate (apprehension probability) increased to about five percent, the violation rate decreased rapidly. Increasing apprehension probability beyond five percent had little impact on violation rate. The data from 18 mobile patrol units confirmed this trend. Data from before and after type studies at two specific locations were used to study the effect of continuous and/or zero enforcement. One location was selected to be representative of a short-haul situation involving timber transportation to saw mill. The other location was selected to represent long-haul truck movements incorporating interprovincial and intercity truck haul with relatively little local haul. The enforcement levels were employed over a length of time necessary to ensure the trucking industry was aware of the change. The long-haul study showed that the rate of violation of gross weight limits decreased to a low of 2.8% at continuous enforcement from 5.6% at normal enforcement. The violation rate increased to 18.6% at zero enforcement. A statistical analysis utilizing the t-test indicated that there is a significant difference between the number of overweight trucks at the various enforcement levels. The short-haul study also indicated a significant difference between zero and normal enforcement. The authors believe this paper provides some insights into the subject of enforcement and compliance to weight regulations. It should form a useful basis for additional studies that are needed, using multi-year data and at more locations, to further quantify the relationship between enforcement and compliance. (Author)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/08268193
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)

  401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada 
• Authors:
  • Wyatt, J J
  • HASSAN, M U
• Publication Date: 1985-12

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 48
• Serial:
  • TRANSPORTATION FORUM
  • Volume: 2-3
  • Publisher: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
  • ISSN: 0826-8193

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Compliance; Gross vehicle weight; Traffic law enforcement; Trucks; Trucks by weight; Weight
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Motor Carriers; Pavements; Vehicles and Equipment; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00454480
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 31 1986 12:00AM