According to the recently issued statement by the Ontario Provincial Police, the number of transport truck collisions has gone up significantly in 2018. There have been several fatal transport truck collisions last year which have resulted in an alarming number of casualties throughout the country, thus resulting in questions being raised regarding the safety of Canadian roads.
Transportation is a critical business in Canada and the authorities take the safety of transport and commercial vehicles very seriously. There are numerous Federal regulations and laws pertaining to heavy transportation vehicles which have been listed under the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS). Vehicles and carriers that meet these prescribed set of performance and maintenance standards laid down by these regulations are a step closer to building a better road safety in Canada.
The Ministry of Transportation officials carries out inspections on trucks and commercial fleet to ensure that they are being operated safely. This inspection is necessary because an unsafe commercial vehicle or truck endangers itself as well as other commuters on the road.
On the part of the authorities, motor vehicle inspectors are deployed periodically to conduct audits of the truck equipment safety, the garage facilities, and the condition of the commercial vehicles. This program is known as the Periodic Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspection Program or (PMVI). PMVI is implemented with the goal of ensuring that all the fleet owners conduct routine vehicle maintenance and servicing program for all the commercial vehicles that they own. These regular inspections allow operators to identify defects and carry out effective repairs so that the trucks comply with the inspection requirements of the PMVI program. This will go a long way in preventing the accidents caused by inefficient and defective trucks.
As per the National Safety Code Standard, there is also a mandatory Pre-Trip Inspection or PTI that needs to be carried out by the driver of the truck before embarking upon any trip. Upon completion of the inspection, he has to fill up a form with the details of the vehicle and sign off with a confirmation that proper inspection has been performed and the truck is fit for the trip. The driver has to carry the report with him at all times during transit. The truck drivers can be pulled up for random inspections at different inspection stations any time during the journey. If these random checks yield any defect with the truck, then the truck driver cannot move the truck from the inspection booth until the problem has been fixed. In case of non-compliance, the motor carrier’s license may also be revoked.
Such violations and breaches reflect in the safety rating and have an impact on the CVOR. Bad safety ratings mean increased insurance costs and an overall damaging reputation in the market. Also, the lack of law compliance with commercial vehicle regulations can also result in an audit by the Ministry of Transportation which may even lead to the shutdown of the company. Upon failing to comply with these requirements, companies and operators may be fined up to $20,000.