BURSTA laundry list of safety infractions including bad brakes, bald tires and an unrestrained toddler resulted in a semi truck being pulled from the road and the driver fined over $1,600.
At 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 26, a BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) officer stopped the rig after noting it was driving in heavy rain and darkness near Malakwa with no functioning taillights.
The 46-year-old driver from Calgary had a valid Class 1 (heavy truck/air brake) Alberta licence and insurance, but he was unable to provide an Electronic Driver Log or explain the long list of safety infractions that included:
• Defective lights and brakes
• No windshield wipers
• A cracked windshield
• No front grill over the radiator
• The cab held together with ratchet straps
• Missing and defective seat belts
• Bald and defective tires
• Detached hydraulic and air lines
• A diesel leak
• A load of steel bars held down by gravity (unsecured load)
“Motorists are acutely away of the risks of unsafe big rigs, and BC Highway Patrol is always on the lookout and will take immediate action whenever we can,” BCHP Sgt. Michael McLaughlin said in a media release. “We’re also going to support and encourage safe professional drivers by levelling the playing field and removing people who are cutting corners.”
The officer also found a one-year-old toddler who was only being restrained in the arms of his mother, who also had no seat belt.
The driver was fined $1,674 in violation tickets, and the truck and trailer were immediately pulled from the road and can’t be re-licensed until all infractions are repaired at the owner’s expense.