Project Safe Haul focuses on unsafe commercial motor vehicles

By Lee Griffi

Officers from the Ontario Provincial Police West Region have launched Project Safe Haul.

The coordinated commercial motor vehicle (CMV) enforcement initiative runs from Oct. 13 to Nov. 1, with the goal of enhancing road safety and reducing risks associated with unsafe commercial vehicles.

Throughout the three-week campaign, OPP detachments across West Region will conduct coordinated CMV inspections at various locations. Officers and CMV inspectors will focus on identifying vehicles that do not meet provincial and federal safety standards, ensuring compliance with legislation and removing unsafe commercial motor vehicles from service.

“Drivers can’t cut corners. They have to do everything possible to ensure the vehicle is safe before it’s taken onto a roadway,” said OPP media relations Const. Randi Crawford.

On Sept. 17, Oxford OPP, Brantford Police and Ministry of Transportation inspectors conducted a commercial vehicle enforcement blitz in Norwich Township. Eighteen commercial vehicles were inspected and nine were taken out of service. Fifty per cent had major defects and six charges were laid. Reported defects included brake problems, driveshaft issues and overweight vehicles.

Crawford said officers who take part in the inspections spend hours in a classroom to become highly trained in the trade.

“They see things a regular officer wouldn’t necessarily be able to detect. We really rely on them, and they aren’t just there to help us on these blitzes; they are there every day to help us ensure we keep commercial vehicles as safe as possible.”

Project Safe Haul will include a highly visible enforcement presence, with officers conducting inspections, educating drivers and carriers, and addressing violations that may compromise public safety. The initiative reinforces the OPP's commitment to preventing collisions before they occur and promoting a culture of safety within the commercial transportation industry.

“We will often use an abandoned property off the 401 and other highways, such as the truck stop in Woodstock before it reopened. We use what’s called chase cars to pull over vehicles and redirect them to the inspection area,” Crawford explained. “We do have the means to inspect vehicles on the side of the road, but we try to avoid that as much as possible.”

Commercial motor vehicles play a vital role in moving goods throughout Ontario. Properly maintaining and operating these vehicles is essential to keeping roads safe for all users. Defects involving brakes, tires, steering components, cargo securement, and driver compliance can contribute to serious collisions and place motorists at risk.

"Commercial vehicle safety is a shared responsibility,” said Staff Sergeant Lynn McNichol, a member of the West Region Traffic and Marine team. “Through Project Safe Haul, OPP officers will be working proactively with industry partners to identify safety concerns, ensure compliance and remove unsafe vehicles from Ontario roads. Our goal is simple: safer highways for everyone."

Police encourage all commercial vehicle operators and carriers to ensure vehicles are properly maintained, required inspections are completed and drivers are adhering to all applicable safety regulations before travelling on Ontario highways.

Project Safe Haul will share updates and enforcement results throughout the campaign. Crawford said it is an opportunity for public education.

“They could call us and say they are following behind this commercial motor vehicle and something just doesn’t look right, and they remembered seeing an OPP picture.  If you can safely get a license plate, call it in. We all know how dangerous it is to have a wheel fall off. It can be catastrophic.”

The OPP’s West Region has also released results from the "Operation Impact" Thanksgiving long weekend traffic campaign.

The campaign, which ran between Oct. 9 and 12, focused on the leading negative driving behaviours that contribute to death, injury and property damage on Ontario roads and highways: speeding, failure to wear a seatbelt, distracted driving, impaired driving and fatigue.

Officers from 13 detachments laid a total of 2,152 charges for a variety of infractions after making 2,251 traffic stops over the course of the campaign. There were 1,030 speeding charges, 83 counts of failing to wear a seatbelt, 15 distracted driving violations and 41 impaired driving charges.