OPP to crack down on commercial truckers
by CanadianManufacturing.com Staff
Last year's campaign led to 400 Highway Traffic Act and Criminal Code charges against commercial truck drivers.
AURORA, Ont—Aggressive commercial truck drivers and unsafe commercial vehicles are the target of a highway crack down by The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Ministry of Transportation (MTO), Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and other police services throughout the Ontario.
The 24-hour border-to-border highway safety initiative dubbed Operation Corridor focuses on high police visibility, enforcement and safety education aimed at commercial truck drivers who travel on major highways.
The initiative runs June 17 to June 18, 2013 and will see OPP officers scanning the roadways for speeding, aggressive or unsafe commercial truck drivers.
No mobile phones
A recent distracted driving survey conducted in Ontario by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators found that 26 per cent of commercial truck drivers were using hand-held devices while driving. The OPP will be keeping a watchful eye out for this dangerous driving behaviour which, to date this year (2013), has taken more lives than impaired driving on OPP patrolled roads and highways.
At the same time, MTO and MOE inspectors will be watching out for poorly maintained commercial vehicles, those with mechanical problems and those that do not meet emission standards.
The OPP says last year’s campaign led to 400 Highway Traffic Act and Criminal Code charges against commercial truck drivers. The charges ranged from speeding and driving out-of-service vehicles to hazardous moving violations and seat belt violations.
