B.C. auditor general says government needs to do more to improve commercial vehicle safety

B.C. auditor general says government needs to do more to improve commercial vehicle safety
CHEK

File photo.

File photo.

The auditor general of B.C. says safety programs are in place, but the government has to do more to ensure more safety measures for commercial vehicles on provincial roads.

Carol Bellringer released recommendations in a report Tuesday that includes the government needing to review standards for commercial driver licensing, ensure commercial vehicles are operating safely on B.C. roads and establishing clear responsibility for the promotion of commercial vehicle road safety education and awareness.

The report says an average of 300 British Columbians are killed each year in motor vehicle incidents, with nearly 20 per cent of those involving heaving commercial vehicles.

Bellringer noted heavy commercial vehicles, including dump trucks, container trucks and semi-trailers, represent about three per cent of registered vehicles in the province, but they are involved in 19 per cent of fatal collisions.

The audit says commercial drivers are not at fault in the majority of fatal collisions.

Bellringer also recommended the government come up with better data analysis to know how effective commercial vehicle safety programs are doing to meet safety goals.

“As part of our audit, we identified a model that assesses the impact of roadside inspection and enforcement activities on commercial vehicle safety. We adapted the model for use in B.C., then used it to analyze the data collected by the B.C. government,” Bellringer said in a statement.

“Over the past three years, roadside inspection and enforcement activities with commercial vehicles in B.C. prevented an estimated 1,100 crashes, including four fatalities and more than 260 injuries. Government should use this type of data analysis to set clear targets and allocate resources efficiently to meet its targets.”

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