MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Motor Carrier Safety
Unit (MCSU) has been honored with the Strides For Safety Award as recognition for its
achievement and continued commitment to enhancing commercial vehicle safety as well as crash
reduction within the State of Alabama. This accolade highlights ALEA’s significant contributions
to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) safety mission and goals.
According to the FMCSA, Alabama saw approximately a 30 percent decrease in commercial
motor vehicle-involved fatality crashes from 2021 to 2023.
ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor said, “We are honored to receive this prestigious Award, which
demonstrates the collective efforts of our Agency to ensure we maintain the highest standards of
safety on our roads. This award not only represents the current efforts of our Motor Carrier
Safety Unit, but it is also a culmination of the past three years where both federal and state
partners worked together to achieve this goal. Through these partnerships, rigorous enforcement,
and proactive initiatives, our Motor Carrier Safety Unit has established an environment of safety
for both commercial vehicle drivers and the general public.”
The award ceremony, attended by key stakeholders, Agency officials, and safety advocates,
recognized ALEA’s exemplary performance and its pivotal role in achieving the safety objectives
outlined by the FMCSA. ALEA’s proactive approach, coupled with the Agency’s dedication to
education and enforcement, has resulted in measurable improvements in commercial vehicle
safety across Alabama.
Director of ALEA’s Department of Public Safety (DPS), Colonel Jon Archer said, “Our Motor
Carrier Safety Unit has set a commendable standard in the realm of commercial vehicle safety.
The tireless efforts by employees within this unit have not only improved safety within the state
but have also significantly contributed to the broader safety mission outlined by the FMCSA.”
The mission of the Motor Carrier Safety Unit, which is a unit within ALEA’s Highway Patrol
Division, is to enhance the enjoyment of life and to ensure the safe movement of traffic through
proactive enforcement to reduce traffic crashes involving commercial motor vehicles. According
to the FMCSA, Alabama only documented 11 fatal crashes in 2023 where the commercial motor
vehicle contributed to the crash. In Fiscal Year 2023, ALEA’s MCSU discovered 11,548 out-ofservice driver and vehicle violations and inspected 50,760 commercial motor vehicles. Last year,
FMCSA gave Alabama a 100 percent rating in the areas of inspection timeliness, vehicle
identification number (VIN) accuracy and 99 percent in inspection accuracy, crash timeliness
and crash accuracy. Additionally, this unit conducts roadside inspections, safety presentations
and Compliance Safety and Accountability (CSA) investigations to increase the likelihood that
safety defects, driver deficiencies, and unsafe carrier practices will be detected and corrected.
ALEA remains steadfast in its pursuit of excellence, contributing significantly to the broader
safety goals outlined by the FMCSA.
Media Release/Senior Trooper Cody Farrar/Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
