Chilliwack (BCHP) – Commercial truck drivers who break the law have a choice; get their standards up to what the law expects or have police tow away their livelihood.
Early in the morning on July 26, a Peterbilt tractor-trailer was stopped on Highway #1 near Yale Road West in Chilliwack, after the unit was clocked doing 117 km/h in a 100 zone.
There are thousands of professional truck drivers working hard and following the rules every day,
says Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. But we are constantly looking for the lawbreakers, and this truck driver showed signs of impairment and failed an Approved Screening Device.
Both the tractor and trailer also failed roadside safety inspections. The truck driver, a 34-year-old Mission man, was issued the following:
- A ticket for speeding against a highway sign, section 146(3) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), with a fine of $138;
- A ticket for
speed limiter not set
(in a heavy commercial vehicle), section 146.1(2)(b) of the BC MVA ($368); - An Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) from driving for 90 days;
- A vehicle impound (for the tractor) for 30 days;
- Heavy-duty towing at the driver’s expense;
- Removal of licencing for both the tractor and trailer until vehicle defects are fixed.
As the Summer Impaired Driving campaign continues to the end of August, BC Highway Patrol is urging everyone- and especially professional drivers- to take driving sober more seriously.
