More than half the trucks fail in commercial vehicle safety blitz in eastern Ontario

It appears commercial vehicle owners and operators are still not getting the message about safety, at least in eastern Ontario.

A commercial motor vehicle safety blitz conducted by the OPP East Region Highway Safety Division, in collaboration with the Quinte West OPP, Belleville City Police, and the Ministry of Transportation, found more than half of the trucks inspected were taken out of service for safety defects.

Twenty-five commercial vehicles in all were inspected and 14 were taken off the road. As well, three vehicles had their licence plates removed due to “major” defects.

A total of 23 charges were laid, including violations related to:

• Overweight vehicles
• Expired annuals
• Emissions violations
• Pre-trip inspection violations
• Improper tires, brakes, and registrations

“Highway safety,” the OPP said in a news release, “is everyone’s responsibility.”