More than 50% of inspected commercial vehicles failed road safety tests in Alberta. This figure was obtained when a commercial vehicle check was carried out to assess defects. Some of the trucks were towed off due to them posing an immediate risk to the drivers and other motorists. Only a small fraction of those that were inspected passed, and the remainder required non-urgent attention. About 601 violations were discovered during the inspection.

It’s crucial to ensure that all long-distance highway trucks be kept in a safe condition. These vehicles pose a real threat to those driving them and other motorists on the road. Once you suspect that there is something wrong with your vehicle, it’s advisable to find truck repair centers and get things fixed quickly. You can also search for terms like commercial truck mobile repair near me or truck hydraulic services if you think the truck is no longer fit for the road.

There are several commercial truck and trailer repair services that will come to you, or you can even find that there is a diesel mechanic road service ready to come to your aid. It’s always better to delay the trip and ensure that the truck is in a safe condition rather than drive a faulty truck and risk the safety of other drivers.

In a recent safety check of Alberta’s commercial vehicles, less than half passed inspection. According to The Canadian Press, only one in four vehicles weighing over 4,500 kilograms actually passed. The vehicles were part of a safety blitz this past month, during which about 500 semi-trailers, trucks, and various other commercial vehicles were targeted for a roadside inspection.

Roughly half of the vehicles had to be pulled from service until their safety issues could be fixed. According to transport officers and police who performed the checks, about 24% of the vehicles had bad tires, poorly secured loads, or improperly adjusted brakes. These problems could potentially be dangerous, and even lethal to truck drivers as well as others on the road.

While highways are fairly safe overall, Steve Callahan, Alberta’s chief transport officer, does find these statistics concerning. “We understand that we have safety issues out there and that we are going to try and correct that,” he says. He hopes that the province will hire more transport inspectors in order to do even more commercial vehicles checks.

In 2013, police held 12 checkstops; the plan for this year is to complete 28. Last year, 42% of vehicles failed safety inspections, compared to 52% this year. “The drivers need to be more vigilant with their checks that they are supposed to be doing daily,” says Sgt. Kerry Bates, working with the Edmonton Police Service commercial vehicle unit.

There are concerns for safety in the region, considering that Alberta experiences a fairly high volume of commercial vehicle traffic thanks to the oilsands. Drivers are often under pressure to deliver on a time schedule, and some are reportedly working for up to 20 hours a day — far beyond the 12 hour limit regulated by law. It’s worth noting that about 2,500 Canadians die in car accidents annually, and fatigue-induced crashes are 50% more likely to result in death because these drivers fail to try and brake or swerve away in order to reduce impact.