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Blitz Keeps Ontario's Roads Safe
OAKVILLE, ON, June 3 /CNW/ -
NEWS
Ontario is making sure large trucks and motor coaches meet the province's
high safety standards during RoadCheck, an international safety inspection
blitz, taking place June 3, 4 and 5, 2008.
This is the twentieth year Ontario has participated in RoadCheck, an
annual event which involves jurisdictions across Canada, the United States and
Mexico. During the three-day blitz, trucks and motor coaches will be inspected
for safety measures, such as:
<<
- mechanical fitness
- complete daily inspection reports and logs
- driver qualifications
- properly-secured loads.
>>
Each year, Ontario inspects more commercial vehicles during RoadCheck
than any other province in Canada. During last year's blitz, officers
inspected 2,862 trucks and buses and found that 81.9 per cent of these
vehicles met or exceeded Ontario's tough safety standards - the rest were
pulled off the road for immediate repairs.
QUOTES
"More than seventy-five per cent of all freight shipped in Ontario moves
by truck. With so many trucks on the road, it is critically important that
these vehicles are moving safely through our communities and on our highways,"
said Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn
(http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/team/biography.asp?MPPID=40).
"Our government has high expectations for truck and bus safety, and we
will continue to make sure our standards are being met - not only during
RoadCheck, but all year long," said Transportation Minister Jim Bradley
(http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/about/minister.htm).
<<
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario's roads are getting safer: while the number of licensed
drivers jumped by 21 per cent between 1996 and 2005, the number of
traffic fatalities fell over that same 10-year period - by
17.6 per cent.
- Trucks are getting safer too: while there were 56 per cent more large
trucks registered in Ontario between 1996 and 2005, the number of
fatal collisions involving large trucks dropped by about 37 per cent.
LEARN MORE
Download a copy of the 2005 Ontario Road Safety Annual Report
(http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/orsar/orsar05/index.shtml).
Get the latest tips and information
(http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/) to help you stay safe on the road.
Interested in learning to drive a large truck or tractor-trailer? Read
Ontario's official Truck Handbook
(http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/drivhand/truck.htm) for rules and safe
practices for driving trucks and trailers.
Access the latest products, services and information for commercial
drivers in Ontario at the Truck and Bus Information Centre
(http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/trucks/).
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BACKGROUNDER
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TRUCK AND BUS SAFETY IN ONTARIO
What is RoadCheck?
RoadCheck is an annual three-day commercial vehicle safety blitz held
across Canada, the United States and Mexico.
This coordinated enforcement campaign:
- Tracks the safety performance of the truck and bus industry
- Monitors the effectiveness of Ministry of Transportation enforcement
programs
- Increases awareness of commercial vehicle safety issues
- Removes unsafe vehicles from the highways.
>>
During RoadCheck, officers randomly select vehicles entering the
inspection station and examine their mechanical condition, load security,
driver qualifications, daily trip inspection reports, daily logs and
compliance with dangerous goods legislation.
Each year, Ontario conducts over 140,000 commercial driver and vehicle
inspections, 10 province-wide safety blitzes and 250 regional safety blitzes.
RoadCheck 2007 Results
During RoadCheck 2007, Ontario's truck and bus inspectors conducted more
vehicle inspections than any other province in Canada, and most other
jurisdictions in the United States. Of the 2,862 trucks and buses inspected,
officers found:
<<
- 81.9 per cent of the trucks met or exceeded Ontario's tough
commercial vehicle safety standards, compared to the Canadian average
of 81.4 per cent.
- 86.9 per cent of the motor coaches met or exceeded these standards,
compared to the Canadian average of 85.7 per cent.
Keeping Trucks and Buses Safe
The McGuinty government has put in place a number of tough laws to improve
road safety and keep families safe. This includes some of the highest fines
and sanctions for commercial vehicle offences in North America.
Recent initiatives include:
- Introducing legislation to make large trucks safer by capping their
maximum speed at 105 kilometres per hour using mandatory speed
limiters.
- A new restrictive condition on the Class "A" truck driver's licence.
Effective June 16 2008, drivers who take their Class "A" road test
using smaller vehicles (i.e., a pick-up truck pulling a large
recreational trailer), will be restricted to driving vehicles of
similar size, and not be licensed to drive a full size
tractor-trailer.
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For further information: Nicole Lippa-Gasparro, Minister's Office, (416) 327-1815; Bob Nichols, Communications Branch, (416) 327-1158
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