MORE than 500 vehicle defects have been located and addressed after a two-day interagency commercial vehicle safety inspection by BC Highway Patrol and its partners.
On July 8 and 9, BC Highway Patrol teamed up with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit’s Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE), Burnaby RCMP, Coquitlam RCMP and Coquitlam Bylaws for a major commercial safety blitz that lead to over $18,000 in tickets.
“Too many commercial drivers are still bending the rules by driving broken trucks and trailers,” says Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. “These inspections are part of our commitment to address road safety concerns from the public. People are right to expect the best from professional drivers.”
Here are some highlights of the enforcement and education events in Coquitlam and Chilliwack:
- 109 total vehicle inspections;
- 543 total defects identified;
- 79 violation tickets issued;
- 58 vehicles taken out of service;
- Over $18,700 in combined fines for provincial violations and bylaw tickets.
Among the violations was a driving school tractor (truck) that had non-compliant front brakes, a dump truck with holes in the bed that leaked its load onto the road, bald and badly worn tires, and bent and damaged wheel rims.
“We know most commercial vehicle drivers take safety seriously, and the public should know that these numbers are not representative of most professional truck drivers,” says McLaughlin.
Police point out that the number of inspections and defects intercepted is a testament to how well the various agencies worked together, using their combined expertise to target vehicles with visible or potential safety defects. Operations like this are expected to have a direct and positive impact on traffic safety, and more joint enforcement operations are being planned for the near future.
