VANCOUVER -- A truck driver who was allegedly impaired behind the wheel was taken off the road by Mounties in Surrey this week.
Surrey RCMP Traffic Services were patrolling on March 4 just before midnight near Fraser Highway and 160 Street in Cloverdale. Officers pulled over a truck that didn't have its headlights on and discovered the driver was impaired, according to a statement from RCMP.
The truck was impounded for 30 days and the 35-year-old male driver was issued an immediate 90-day roadside prohibition.
"To find this impaired commercial vehicle operator, as well as a large number of mechanical violations is concerning," said Sgt. David Chu with Surrey RCMP Traffic Services in a news release. "Commercial vehicle inspections and sobriety checks for all operators of conveyances such as taxis, buses and commercial vehicles may be conducted at any time. We will continue our enforcement actions to make our roads safer for all."
This comes shortly after a commercial vehicle enforcement blitz, which included Surrey RCMP as well as other law enforcement agencies, where 33 commercial vehicles were inspected. Surrey Mounties said nine vehicles were taken off the road and 11 were cited for "defective conditions."
During similar commercial vehicle safety enforcement that took place in late February in Burnaby, a truck was taken out of service and towed after Mounties found a block of wood was being used in place of a passenger seat. Burnaby RCMP also stopped a truck that had an adult passenger riding on a child's booster seat. The owner of the truck was issued a violation ticket for $598.
