Truck drivers like Neal Leclaire spend countless hours out on the road. Neal has been a truck driver for about 30 years. He and others are a crucial part of our country's economy.
"I started driving over the road in 1996," said Neal.
But while on the road all day, truck drivers see it all—drivers cutting them off, distracted drivers, and people on their cell phones.
"Yeah, I got a good vantage point. You can see down into the vehicles that pass you," said Neal.
And that's why on Tuesday he had a Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper in his passenger seat. It's part of Trooper in a Truck, an initiative meant to promote safe driving. When a trooper identifies a violation from the truck, they radio to patrol cars in the area for proper enforcement.
"We can really get a kind of bird's-eye view of distracted driving that’s going on on the Wisconsin roadways," said Wisconsin State Patrol Inspector Tyler Kostos.
The ultimate goal here is to prevent crashes before they happen. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, in 2023, there were more than 5,500 reckless driving crashes across the state, which resulted in more than 3,000 people being injured and 137 people killed by a reckless driver. That could be anything from a distracted driver to speeding to aggressive driving.
Watch: How troopers and truckers are partnering up for safer roadways.
"Our biggest focus here is to intercept the people that possibly could be causing the crashes," said Kostos.
"For the trucks, for the motoring public, everyone out there is someone’s family, someone’s friend. You don’t want to be that person that takes away someone’s life or possibly even your own," said Gillian Taylor with the Motor Carriers Association.
For Neil, he says so much has changed out on the roads.
"When I started driving, very few people had cell phones," said Neal.
But one thing that remains the same is the need for people to drive safely so he and others can make it home to their families at the end of the day.
"Pay attention to what your'e doing, focus on your driving and be patient," said Neal.
Trooper in a Truck is happening in various locations across the state.
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