EDMONTON- On day one of a crackdown on the safety of Edmonton-based commercial vehicles, only 23 per cent of the vehicles that were stopped passed the inspection.
Members of the EPS Commercial Vehicle Inspection Detail (CVID), along with agencies across Alberta, began the three-day Joint Forces Check on Tuesday.
EPS says on day one, 75 commercial vehicles were inspected. Of those vehicles, 41 (or 54 per cent) were taken out of service and 17 (23 per cent) required attention. Only 17 vehicles (23 per cent) passed the inspection. In total, there were 229 violations.
Officers say these regular checks are a way to keep maintenance issues top-of-mind with commercial vehicle operators, so they do regular repairs on their vehicles.
Members of CVID deal encounter problems with commercial vehicles on a daily basis, EPS says. In August 2013, officers were called to the area of Yellowhead Trail and 82 Street, after a load of drywall products and pails of paint collapsed due to the weight of the load. Officers say it took nearly three hours to clean up during the busy morning commute.
In May of this year, a private farm came to the attention of officers on patrol north of the Whitemud on 50th Street. The vehicle was caught with 10 out-of-service items and 19 violations. Officers say the operator of the vehicle was using a propane bottle and infrared heater to warm the cab of the truck.
In August of 2012, a semi lost the two containers it was carrying after hitting the bridge at Fort Road and Yellowhead Trail. Officers say the load was over the bridge’s height restriction. The truck came to a halt a short distance away from the bridge.
The location of this week’s Joint Forces Check is not being disclosed, but police say checks will occur at off-peak times.
During a similar three-day check in the spring, 31 per cent of vehicles that were checked passed the inspection.