VICTORIA — Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement officers throughout B.C. plan to be out in full strength for the duration of the summer keeping a close eye on commercial truck safety.

CVSE branches in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, near Prince George, on Vancouver Island, and in the Southern Interior will work in co-operation with local law enforcement to ensure commercial vehicles are meeting safety standards.

CVSE inspectors will be targeting load security issues and the mechanical condition of commercial vehicles, including long haul trucks, as well as local taxis and farm vehicles.

“This summer’s focused enforcement by our ministry’s CVSE staff is part of increased roadside enforcement right across the province,” said Transportation and Safety Minister Shirley Bond. “We want to raise awareness in the commercial transport industry about safety on the roads, and that we expect safety standards to be met.”

The province uses the results of these roadside inspections to identify trends in mechanical maintenance, which may result in increased focus on some designated inspection facilities and commercial businesses.

The province has recently introduced amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act to provide greater oversight of the vehicle inspection process. With these amendments, it is easier for CVSE to cancel the designation of a facility or inspector for improper conduct and also allows inspectors to immediately seize the vehicle’s licence plates for if critical defects are found.

Critical defects focus on the steering system, brakes, tires, wheels and rims. They are defects that: clearly affect safe operation of a vehicle, should have been detected by the drivers during their pre-trip inspection, and can’t normally be repaired at the side of the road and indicative of ongoing poor maintenance.