Charges laid, trucks pulled from the road in safety blitz

DURING OPERATION SAFE TRUCKING last week, the police stopped 4,254 commercial motor vehicles (CMV), laid 2,479 charges and took 120 unsafe CMVs out of service, the OPP reported this week.

During the blitz, the OPP covertly conducted highway patrol resulting in 114 distracted driving charges against CMV drivers.

OPP aircraft and the use of OPP non-traditional patrol vehicles were also used for enforcement, providing an enhanced view of aggressive CMV drivers. Speeding accounted for 576 of the charges, 75 were the result of Follow Too Close and an additional 269 charges were laid for other moving violations.

A number of CMVs were found to have defective equipment, making up 214 of the charges. Improper documentation saw the highest number of CMV charges (794).

There were no CMVrelated fatalities reported during this period.

When CMV drivers were not drawing the OPP’s attention, officers spotted a number of passenger vehicles whose drivers were charged with various violations such as distracted driving and speeding.

Police remind other drivers they should provide adequate space to CMVs to ensure the highways are safe for everyone. collision on Wellington Road 7, between Salem and Alma. Initial reports indicated that a southbound tractor trailer had collided with a southbound passenger vehicle. The passenger vehicle was stopped and awaiting clearance to pass through a single lane stretch of highway that was under construction. OPP. Centre Wellington Fire Rescue and Guelph-Wellington Paramedics Service attended. The lone occupant of the passenger vehicle, a 48-year-old Town of Minto woman, was transported to local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Traffic was delayed as a result of the collision. Upon investigation, a 29-year-old St. Thomas man was charged with ‘careless driving.’ He is scheduled to appear in Guelph Court on September 5.