Cops’ safety blitz in Mississauga, Brampton gets unsafe trucks off the road
Published May 20, 2022 at 1:34 pm
Peel Regional Police are out in full force today (May 20) in efforts to get unsafe trucks off Mississauga and Brampton roads.
The commercial vehicle safety blitz, in which Peel cops trained to identify mechanical issues that could pose a threat are inspecting trucks, is part of a nationwide effort dubbed Canada Road Safety Week.
In a post to social media, Peel police Const. Akhil Mooken said officers were pulling trucks off the road on Friday and inspecting them at a Mississauga location before deciding if they were safe enough to continue their journey.
Peel police have a team of 12 to 14 Road Safety officers who are trained and certified to inspect trucks for safety issues, noted Mooken.
One such officer, Const. Bill Hall, said his team is looking for any issues with things such as steering, brakes and tires, particularly the bolts, “…because tires are always flying off.”
Continuing, Hall said they also check the body and frame of the truck for rust and then do a visual inspection underneath, looking for “stuff that can fall off.”
Our commercial vehicle inspections continue this afternoon as part of #CRSW2022. Over a dozen vehicles have been inspected, with two removed from service so far. #SaferYouSaferMe https://t.co/7x2kEQACdv pic.twitter.com/zvFWv7CseM
— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) May 20, 2022
The officers stress that they are trained as inspectors only, not mechanics. They are certified to “go under the trucks, find out what’s wrong” and then direct that it be fixed by a qualified mechanic.
For trucks that fail the police roadside inspection, they can either have a mechanic address the issue on the spot before getting back on the road or the vehicle will be towed to a mechanic.
The nationwide road safety initiative, launched earlier this week, continues through the long weekend in partnership with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and police services across Canada.
In addition to unsafe trucks, cops are also cracking down on road safety violations, zeroing in on dangerous and impaired drivers, street racing, distracted driving and other offences.
— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) May 20, 2022
“Supported by officers from divisions in Mississauga and Brampton, members of our Road Safety Services team will be undertaking a multi-pronged approach towards safer roadways,” Peel police said in a news release earlier this week.
Peel police Project Noisemaker and ERASE, an annual summer campaign targeting illegal street racers and excessively loud vehicles, is also part of the enhanced campaign.
The goal, police say, is to make Mississauga and Brampton safer for motorists and pedestrians.
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