Cops haul trucks off road in Kamloops-area highway blitz

Nine vehicles were pulled off the road in a two-day highway blitz in the Kamloops area as BC Highway Patrol targeted commercial trucks last month.

One of those trucks included a car hauler stopped on Highway 5 between Barriere and Clearwater, which had three completely unsecured vehicles on its load.

According to a BC Highway Patrol news release, the truck was towed away and taken out of service on March 28, while the 53-year-old Abbotsford man behind the wheel was fined $1,996.

None of the vehicles it carried were properly secured to the trailer, its air brakes were leaking and ineffective, and its exhaust was also leaking.

“Commercial trucks are much larger and heavier than other vehicles on the highway, so BC Highway Patrol is continuing to work with Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) to reinforce the expectation that commercial drivers maintain a higher safety standard,” BC Highway Patrol spokesperson Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said.

Between March 18 and 20, checkpoints were coordinated along Highway 5 North in a coordinated effort between Kamloops RCMP, BC Highway Patrol and CVSE.

It resulted in 200 charges under the Motor Vehicle Act, 35 comprehensive vehicle inspections, 139 written warnings, and 83 orders to repair defects, according to the news release.

“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,” McLaughlin said.

The highway corridor has previously been a focal point for local governments lobbying for safety improvements amid a rash of repeated serious collisions, but McLaughlin said there has been a decrease in fatalities in the past two years.

The province added CVSE pullouts in the area and, more recently, a speed camera pilot project.