Behind the Wheel - June 14, 2006
Reporting Traffic Violations
As a commuter, I would really like to see the article written about what to do when we see a commercial transport vehicle that is driving in an unsafe manner re-appear in the column. You gave us a phone number to call that specifically relates to tractor trailers, and who to call when we witness a driving infraction. I see it on a regular basis and most of the times the trucks are unmarked.
Report Commercial Vehicle Safety Violations:
- Province Wide 1-888-775-8785
- Sea to Sky Highway 1-866-WATCH99
- Fraser Canyon 1-888-801-8884
The trucking community shares your concern. The majority of the drivers don't care to be labeled as dangerous because of the actions of a few. They also point out that the majority of collisions between heavy trucks and light vehicles are the fault of the light vehicle driver. This is difficult to corroborate in BC as ICBC does not publish determination of fault in their annual collision statistics report.
If the truck driving is truly dangerous, a call to 911 or other police emergency number is appropriate. The telephone numbers listed here will trigger after the fact investigations that will not stop a situation in progress.
To be effective, you will have to be ready to act as a witness in court to support charges against the driver. In cases where you are unwilling to do this, the information is passed on to the driver or company for action as they see fit. Repetitive complaints without charges do not result in any public sanctions being taken to halt the improper behaviour.
Heavy trucks intimidate other traffic through sheer size. I wonder if we tolerate identical behaviour from drivers of smaller vehicles because we see it more often and don't feel as threatened by it. Food for thought...
Reference Links
Have you ever met anyone who would admit to being less than a better than average driver?
Search Behind the Wheel at http://www.drivesmartbc.ca