ATLANTA — Truckers are breaking the law inside I-285 and metro Atlanta drivers are feeling the impact.
A Channel Two Action News investigation caught the same number of violators in two weeks, as the state did in an entire year.
Georgia law states truckers can be inside the perimeter for select reasons that include picking up or dropping off a load, visiting a repair shop and if they live within the perimeter.
Most commuters can tell you gridlock and Atlanta seem to go hand in hand. If you add semi-trucks illegally inside the perimeter to the mix you could end up with what we had Jan. 28, 2014.
That was the day an icy winter storm blew through the metro and motorists found themselves trapped on interstates along with semi-trucks for hours.
Not every truck inside the perimeter that day was there illegally, but authorities suspect many where.
"There is not a day that goes by that it is not possible to eventually stop one," said Georgia Motor Carrier Compliance Division Lt. William Satterfield.
Records Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Erica Byfield pored through provide a reason why.
In 2012, officers with the Motor Carrier Compliance Division cited 84 truckers for driving within I-285 illegally. The following year, they nabbed 16 and in 2014 the number shot up to 146.
The numbers from 2013 startled us, so we took to the interstate to find out how long it would take us to catch an equal number of violators. It did not take long.
Byfield and her photographer sat along I-20, I-85, I-75 and 400 and watched.
If a trucker passed, Byfield would follow them. She found some made stops inside the perimeter while others roared right through.
"It's shorter, it's quicker, less traffic," trucker Don McDaniel explained.
In 11 days, Byfield and her photographer caught 16 violators, the same number MCCD officers caught in 2013.
We took our findings to Satterfield.
"To be honest with you, that's probably a low number," he said.
Satterfield oversees the MCCD Officers who patrol most of the metro. He told Byfield so many truckers break the law, it is hard to keep up.
Satterfield went on to say there are several reasons for the low enforcement numbers in 2013: A hiring freeze in 2012 that bled into 2013, new limousine inspections duties and a requirement that two of his officers assist with HOT lane and HOV enforcement.
“The more officers we have dedicated to a specific deal inside the perimeter the more it’s going to be stopped," he said.
Channel 2 Action News witnessed that first hand. Byfield and her photographer rode along with an MCCD officer. That day, the officer stopped four trucks and caught two violators. He gave one a citation and the other received a warning.
The crackdown
A close inspection of the citation data the state provided showed a dramatic increase in tickets around December 2014.
Satterfield said it was calculated because Georgia's leaders didn't want a repeat of the winter of 2014.
"That's the reason for the spike," he told Byfield.
The crackdown enforcement numbers show from November to April 2015 MCCD officers pulled over 655 trucks. More than 200 truckers got citations for being in the perimeter illegally and officers issued close to 60 others warnings.
Satterfield explained, generally, two MCCD officers look for violators twice a month.
But when officials decided to ramp up enforcement, they also ramped up their man power.
During the campaign, 10 officers worked the detail at least once a week.
Truckers told Channel 2 they know state officials are watching.
"They set the tone for us truckers," said trucker Aaron Lane.
Satterfield believes it is only a matter of time before more truckers get caught using the illegal shortcut.
"If (we)haven't got you yet, we will eventually. Your number’s going to come up eventually," he said.
He suspects the department will increase enforcement again in the late fall. Truckers who break this law face fines from $150 to $1,000 and a misdemeanor charge.
WSBTV
