B.C. embarks on year-long inspection campaign

VANCOUVER, B.C. — The Insurance Corp. of British Columbia, which oversees commercial truck safety in the province, announced a year-long heavy-truck inspection campaign beginning this month.

The program focuses on a series of specific areas of concern and targets different regions across the province. For example, this week inspectors are targeting commercial vehicles that travel on urban roads without fixed weigh scales in the Lower Mainland, Victoria/Duncan areas, south Okanagan communities and in Prince George, Quesnel, and Mackenzie, ICBC said.

The agency said its focus in future weeks will be on specific industry sectors, such as dump trucks, logging trucks, taxis, and trucks carrying dangerous goods, or on specific mechanical deficiencies in braking systems, load security, tires and wheels, and steering systems. Inspectors will also be checking driver qualifications and skills, the agency said.

The focused inspection campaign will be conducted regularly until the end of November 1999. Sixteen inspectors from around the province will work with other regulatory agencies, including local police services, to heighten the program’s visibility and effectiveness. Owners of vehicles in need of serious safety-related repairs will have their vehicles removed from the road until repairs are complete.

Information gathered during the campaign will help determine priorities for future campaigns, ICBC said.

This campaign supplements the existing periodic inspection program that requires operators to have commercial vehicles checked every six months.

ICBC assumed responsibility for commercial vehicle inspections last year as part of the merger with the former B.C. Motor Vehicle Branch.