Remember how exciting it was to finally get your driver’s licence?
It was a point of pride and a sign of independence. Sadly, too many are abusing the privilege of driving by not carrying a valid licence.
In the past few days, Burnaby RCMP traffic officers have nailed a dozen drivers rolling around our city without a proper licence. One was actually carrying a fake licence and one ‘N’ driver was caught driving while impaired – for the second time.
These incidents reveal just how dangerous some people are while driving in Burnaby.
Burnaby RCMP traffic officers were part of a recent five-day blitz of commercial vehicles.
In all, 109 vehicles were inspected with 67 of them taken out of service, 77 found to be speeding and a total of 274 tickets handed out.
Ridiculous numbers, yes, considering these vehicles are so big and can do so much damage if not operated correctly.
But by far the worst truck local officers found was an aging semi-truck and trailer with a full load of gravel, rocks and boulders.
The unit was stopped as part of a weeklong commercial vehicle enforcement blitz across the Lower Mainland.
The driver was handed a whopping 14 tickets for all of the things wrong with it.
Yes, 14 tickets for one vehicle.
A valve that’s supposed to protect the truck’s air brakes in the case of a trailer breakaway or severe air leak wasn’t working, an air-line connected to the end-dump trailer was leaking because of a faulty seal, a tire on the trailer was “compromised,” the brake lights didn’t work, the truck’s steering mechanism was loose and there were problems with the unit’s licence plate and decals.
The trailer was also covered with loose rocks and debris waiting to rain down onto other vehicles’ windshields.
But you wouldn’t have known it from the driver’s pre-trip report, according to police.
That document said both the truck and trailer were in “perfect condition,” police said.
“It is unfortunate to see these types of violations,” said Burnaby RCMP Const. Kevin Connolly who inspected the vehicle. “Truck drivers know the importance of pre-trip inspections and safety on our roads.”
- With additional reporting by Cornelia Naylor
