A total of 15 commercial vehicles, out of 64 checked, were taken out of service following a three-day North Okanagan commercial vehicle inspection.
Members of the Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP’s North Okanagan Traffic Services and Integrated Road Safety Unit conducted the inspection March 22-24 in partnership with provincial commercial vehicle inspectors and WorkSafe BC. The purpose behind the checks was to enforce B.C. driving laws and safety and WorkSafe BC regulations.
The average of five commercial vehicles a day taken off the road is a bit alarming to the local RCMP.
“We have these commercial vehicles out there that are not road-worthy, and five a day is a pretty big number when you consider that’s what is out there on a daily basis,” said Vernon RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk.
“We’d like to see it down to none, of course, but there are always those individuals who are probably just trying to make it to the end of the month or inspection time.
“With 15 of them out there, in those three days, out of 64, that’s a pretty high number.”
Molendyk figured it would be items such as brakes, front-end damage or the wear of the vehicle’s tires that resulted in the vehicles being taken off the road for repairs.
During the check stops, police and inspectors also checked private vehicles.
In the three-day campaign, officials wrote 68 violation tickets under the Motor Vehicle Act; eight seatbelt tickets were written; there were 38 written warnings for vehicle defects; police stopped three prohibited drivers and had their vehicles impounded, and police also made two small drug seizures.
The road checks will continue, said Molendyk, to ensure area roadways are safe for all motorists.
Vernon RCMP were also kept busy last week dealing with problem motorists.
Police issued 10 24-hour prohibition, six for marijuana and four for alcohol.
Three drivers were given three-day Immediate Roadside Prohibitions (IRPs) and one was given a 90-day IRP.
Six vehicles were impounded for various infractions.
