Authorities cracking down on unsafe loads

An extract from the Ottawa Citizen....Beware, there will be more

When city police teamed up with ministry of transportation officials to inspect 26 commercial vehicles in a safety blitz in the city’s west end last week, nine ended up off the road.

The reasons included lacking annual inspections, having insecure loads and being overweight.

“We are seeing drivers of commercial motor vehicles that are lacking or have improper cargo securement on their loads,” Const. Phil Kane of the traffic services unit said. “Drivers and operators must realize that operating a commercial motor vehicle comes with certain requirements that are mandated by law and it is their responsibility to comply.”

Some of the 25 charges laid by traffic officers and Ontario Ministry of Transportation inspectors on July 23 also included having the wrong class of licence to drive a commercial vehicle and failing to wear a seatbelt.

“We recognize that there is a high volume of commercial vehicle traffic in the City of Ottawa,” Staff-Sgt. Marc Andre Sheehy said.

“Ensuring these vehicles are in good order is important to us, as we strive to make roads safe for everyone in our community.”