You might be pulled over for a safety check as police look for vehicles that aren’t up to snuff.
Thunder Bay Police Acting Traffic Sergeant Sal Carchidi says officers and Ministry of Transportation enforcement officers will be focusing on commercial and passenger vehicle inspections this week.
“If something’s standing out that leads an officer to believe the vehicle might be unsafe, they could be stopped and required to be subject to an inspection,” he says.
While they’re on the lookout for unsafe vehicles all year round, he says they find more in the spring.
“There are potentially more vehicles out of compliance after the wear and tear of winter where maybe some regular maintenance hasn’t been done, or someone was trying to get through that last winter with a vehicle that might not necessarily be safe to be on the roadway,” he points out.
Carchidi says they may ask you to pull into an inspection area if they see a cracked windshield or other issues.
Those include “defects as far as severe body rust or possible damage, any braking system issues, load security, or potential leaking gas or exhaust,” he says.
Commercial drivers will also have to show they’ve completed the proper documentation before their trip, proper safety inspection, and that drivers aren’t working an unsafe number of hours.
He adds if police find any major issues they could order you to fix them, remove your plates until you pass a safety certification, or charge you.
