EDMONTON – RCMP handed out nearly $7,000 worth of fines during a two-day commercial vehicle inspection blitz near Lac La Biche late last week.
Officers enforced three checkstops on local highways, between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., on Thursday and Friday.
In total, about 200 vehicles were stopped and checked. Of those, 50 per cent had to have repairs, secure loose items, or fix other safety issues before being allowed back on the road.
Two impaired drivers were taken off the road by RCMP. The drivers of the vehicles – both women – were arrested. RCMP say one of the women had her nine-year-old daughter in the car with her at the time.
Several speeders were also stopped and ticketed. RCMP nabbed one driver travelling 160 km/hr in an area with a 100 km/hr speed limit.
One semi-truck driver was pulled over and ticketed after speeding past a police car with its emergency lights on, after failing to stop for officers at one of the checkstops. RCMP say the driver of the semi used the oncoming lane of traffic to get around the vehicles which had stopped at the checkstop.
Two logging trucks were stopped due to insecure logs, which posed a risk of falling off the trucks.
One driver is scheduled to appear in court after failing to comply with periods of rests and for operating while over the maximum allowed hours of driving. The man’s truck was pulled off the road.
In total, police issued approximately $6,700 in fines over the two nights.
Lac La Biche is located about 250 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.