The BC Highway Patrol has been keeping a close eye on the Kamloops area of late.
An enhanced enforcement push has led to more than 200 commercial vehicle charges on area highways, including one notable incident on March 28 that saw an auto transport trailer removed from Hwy 5.
According to the BCHP, none of the vehicles being transported on the trailer that was stopped between Barriere and Clearwater were properly secured.
“Three were not secured at all,” noted a BCHP release.
The tractor unit and trailer had ineffective and poorly maintained brakes, the release noted, as well as leaks in the air brake system and exhaust.
Officers handed the driver, a 53-year-old Abbotsford man, $2,000 worth of fines and the vehicle was taken out of service and towed away.
“The Hwy 5 corridor north of Kamloops has seen a decrease in fatal collisions in the last two years, but we will continue to work to make the area even safer,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin.
“Commercial trucks are much larger and heavier than other vehicles on the highway, so BCHP is continuing to work with Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) to reinforce the expectation that commercial drivers maintain a higher safety standard.”
The BCHP says enforcement near Kamloops between March 18-20 resulted in:
“The majority of commercial drivers put in the time and expense to make sure their vehicles are safe and legal, while a minority of drivers are causing the most problems,” noted McLaughlin.
“BCHP and CVSE are specifically looking for vehicles that are unsafe which helps explain the high percentage of defects found in vehicles we pull over.”
He added: “We want to make sure that only ethical, professional drivers are left operating on our highways.”
