Load safety, brakes and driver records have been the focus of the dedicated Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit the past few months for Delta police.
As Delta is a hub for large truck traffic, enforcement is key to ensuring safety on Delta roadways, which is a focus for the two officers assigned to this unit.
“In January the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit conducted 80 roadside inspections, and nearly half of those roadside stops resulted in the commercial vehicles being required to undergo a full inspection,” said Insp. Ryan Hall, who oversees the unit. “Many of those vehicles were ordered off the road immediately.”
The unit focusses its enforcement efforts on heavy truck routes, and areas with high numbers of commercial vehicles, such as the Scott Road corridor, Highway 17, Nordel Way, and industrial areas. Officers also conduct other related investigations.
While conducting an illegal dumping investigation in January, officers stopped a commercial vehicle driver and learned he was already prohibited from driving. He was arrested and given a court date, and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.
Less than one week later, the same driver was stopped in a different commercial vehicle and was again arrested for driving while prohibited. The commercial vehicle he was driving on that day was also impounded. The driver received court dates for both incidents.
“Prohibited driving is a criminal code offence, and can result in jail time,” added Hall. “Subsequent prohibited driving charges can result in lengthy driving prohibitions – meaning the driver might not be legally permitted to drive for years. This can significantly impact someone’s employment prospects.”
The Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officers also attend crashes or incidents involving commercial trucks.
Recently a loaded dump truck had its wheel bolts sheer off, causing two wheels to break off the dump truck and roll across three lanes of traffic. Debris from the incident struck a construction flag person working at the roadside, resulting in a trip to the hospital.
The officers attended the scene and found several other defects on the suspect vehicle. Fines were issued, and the defective vehicle was immediately removed from the public roadway and a full vehicle inspection was ordered. Fortunately, the flag person is expected to make a full recovery.
Commercial vehicle enforcement is an ongoing priority for DPD, and officers in the Traffic Unit receive cross-training in this skill, to ensure inspections take place during all hours.
