An Alberta commercial driver and the carrier responsible for the vehicle face numerous charges after Ontario Provincial Police investigated a traffic complaint on Highway 11. OPP say officers received complaints about a tractor-trailer that was reportedly unable to maintain its lane and was travelling at inconsistent speeds at about 8:50 a.m. on Oct. 22. Police said officers located and stopped the vehicle north of North Bay. Inspection found safety defects OPP said officers escorted the vehicle to a truck stop on Highway 11 North, where they worked with the Ministry of Transportation to conduct a detailed commercial vehicle inspection. “The inspection revealed numerous hours-of-service violations, as well as significant safety defects affecting the vehicle involving the vehicle’s braking system, as well as loose wheel fasteners,” OPP said in a news release. “As a result of these findings, the commercial motor vehicle was deemed unsafe and removed from service.” Driver faces multiple charges The driver, a 29-year-old from Beaumont, Alta., was charged with driving a commercial motor vehicle with a major defect, operating an unsafe commercial motor vehicle, operating a commercial vehicle with an insecure load and failing to accurately complete a daily inspection report. They were also charged with a series of hours-of-service offences, including exceeding 13 hours of driving time in a day, driving after 14 hours on duty in a day and driving after 16 hours since the last qualifying break without eight consecutive hours off duty, along with failing to properly record duty status changes, driving a commercial motor vehicle contrary to prohibition and failing to properly wear a seatbelt. Authorities said further investigation revealed the driver had been operating in contravention of hours-of-service requirements over an extended period and was issued a 72-hour out-of-service order. Carrier also charged The Alberta-based carrier operating out of Edmonton was charged with failing to ensure performance standards are met, permitting operation of an unsafe commercial motor vehicle, operating a commercial motor vehicle with a push rod stroke exceeding the prescribed limit and failing to ensure a daily inspection report is accurately completed. The carrier is also charged with permitting driving of a commercial motor vehicle contrary to prohibition and permitting a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle not in accordance with the regulations. Due to the safety defects identified during the inspection, the commercial motor vehicle was placed out of service for 72 hours and its licence plates were removed. Safety reminder Provincial police used the incident to remind commercial operators of the importance of maintenance and safety laws. OPP said commercial vehicle regulations, including hours-of-service requirements, electronic logging devices, vehicle inspection requirements and speed-limiting systems, are designed to reduce driver fatigue and improve safety for all road users. “OPP remains committed to enforcing these regulations and keeping Ontario highways safe,” said police.
