From June 3 to 5, the Department of Transportation and Public Works Highway Safety Division participated in the annual Canada Roadcheck in conjunction with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. For the past 21 years, the CVSA’s annual Roadcheck event has dispatched federal, state, provincial and local inspectors to conduct North American Standard Inspections around the clock for 72 hours. These inspections involve a comprehensive 37-step procedure which includes inspections related to vehicle, driver and cargo safety. Inspectors also hand out educational materials to drivers on various aspects of commercial vehicle, driver and hazardous materials safety.
In 2007, officials inspected 104 trucks, 13 of which were classified as out-of-service, which means the vehicles were not up to national standards and were taken off the road until proper servicing was completed. This year, 97 vehicles were inspected between June 3 and 5 and 11 were found to be out of service, a small but encouraging reduction in the percentage of out-of-service vehicles compared to the previous year.
Minister of Transportation and Public Works Ron MacKinley says industry is taking proper vehicle inspection and maintenance seriously.
“Our Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers do a tremendous job with random vehicle inspections year-round. They also work with industry to help educate commercial drivers about proper maintenance and to help make sure our Island roads are kept safe. Their work helps motivate commercial vehicle operators to comply with the national safety standards.”
For more on the CVSA, visit the website at www.cvsa.org.