A two-day commercial vehicle enforcement blitz in Northumberland County resulted in three trucks being taken off the road and dozens of charges being laid.
Members of the Northumberland and Peterborough detachments of the Ontario Provincial Police, along with specialized Commercial Motor Vehicle inspectors, carried out the enforcement initiative to ensure commercial vehicles and drivers were meeting provincial safety standards.
During the operation, officers completed a number of inspections, including seven Level I inspections — the most comprehensive commercial vehicle inspection standard used in North America.
The initiative resulted in three commercial motor vehicles being placed out of service and 62 Provincial Offence Notices being issued.
Police say inspectors uncovered a range of safety and regulatory violations, including major mechanical defects, defective braking systems, failures to complete and document daily vehicle inspections, unreported vehicle defects, electronic logging device violations, record of duty status offences, inoperative seat belt assemblies, and permit and Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration documentation violations.
On July 17 alone, two commercial vehicles were removed from service after inspectors identified significant safety concerns. One inspection resulted in 33 charges against a driver and the carrier company for multiple safety and regulatory violations.
The OPP says commercial vehicle inspections are an important part of keeping Ontario highways safe by identifying unsafe vehicles before they can contribute to serious collisions.
Police are reminding commercial vehicle operators and carriers that they are responsible for ensuring their vehicles are properly maintained, inspected and operated in compliance with Ontario’s safety regulations.
