Annual Commercial Vehicle Operation "Southern Shield” in Southern Arizona February 20-24
- For Immediate Release -
The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force (CVETF) will conduct Operation Southern Shield 2023 from Monday, February 20, 2023, through Friday, February 24, 2023, on Interstate 10 from Phoenix to the New Mexico state line, and on Interstate 19 from Tucson to the international border.
The CVETF is comprised of AZDPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau troopers and Arizona Department of Transportation Enforcement and Compliance Division officers.
The focus of this operation is to target hazardous driving violations, conduct commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspections, and educate drivers on safe and compliant operation in an effort to reduce crashes involving commercial motor vehicles. Non-commercial vehicles that operate unsafely around CMVs will also be stopped.
During this operation, CVETF troopers and officers will work with inspectors, deputies and officers from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, the Marana Police Department, Oro Valley Police Department, and the Tucson Police Department.
Update: Wednesday, March 1, 2023 - Results of Operation Southern Shield
During the five-day special enforcement detail “Operation Southern Shield”, the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force (CVETF) and partners completed 693 commercial vehicle inspections and recorded 2,238 driver-vehicle examination report violations.
Throughout the operation, 106 vehicles and 135 drivers were placed out of service. CVETF personnel placed special emphasis on violations involving reckless driving, failure to use a turn signal or improper signaling, failure to yield right of way, and improper lane changes. These are all among the American Transportation Research Institute’s top five driving behaviors that are consistent indicators of future crash involvement.
Additional importance was placed on restraint usage and cell phone distractions, with 69 restraint violations and 15 cell phone use violations reported.
During this operation, CVETF personnel worked with inspectors, deputies and officers from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Marana Police Department, Oro Valley Police Department, and the Tucson Police Department.
The CVETF Division comprises sworn uniformed personnel and professional staff from the Arizona Department of Transportation's Enforcement Services Bureau and the AZDPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau. The mission of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force is to ensure safe, secure, and efficient commercial transport across Arizona.
