Twenty commercial vehicles were removed from Ottawa roads last week after a joint safety inspection found them unfit to drive, according to the Ottawa Police Service.
The one-day blitz on Oct. 22 was carried out in the city's west end by the Ottawa Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. Sixteen inspectors certified by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance examined 87 commercial motor vehicles in total.
Beyond the 20 vehicles taken out of service, 68 charges were laid. One licence plate was seized after the vehicle it was attached to was declared unfit.
Brakes, tires and loose loads among violations
Police said the vehicles were pulled off the road for safety defects that included faulty brakes, improper tires, insecure loads, damaged suspension parts, steering problems, and defective or missing trailer safety devices.
The charges covered a wide range of offences, including failures related to daily trip inspection reports and annual inspection stickers, insecure loads, overweight vehicles, poor vehicle maintenance, Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration violations, improper tires, broken turn signals, major defects, dangerous goods, permits and documentation, and missing licence plates.
For everyday drivers in Ottawa, the results are a reminder of how much depends on the condition of the large trucks sharing the road with commuters, school buses and cyclists. A braking or steering failure on a heavy vehicle at highway speed can turn a routine trip into a serious collision.
According to the Ottawa Police Service, safe commercial vehicles, properly licensed drivers and secure loads are essential to road safety, and the three agencies will continue running targeted enforcement initiatives together to keep the city's roads safe.
No injuries or collisions were reported in connection with the blitz. Police did not specify which west-end location hosted the inspections, and no individual drivers or companies were named in the release.
Members of the public can view, download and interact with Ottawa Police Service data through the Community Safety Data portal at data.ottawapolice.ca.
Residents can also register their information and security camera locations at CAMSafe.ca to help support police investigations.
This is not the first time the three agencies have teamed up on commercial vehicle enforcement, and police have signalled more blitzes are likely as enforcement continues across the city.
