A vehicle blitz involving several law-enforcement and government agencies has resulted in some drivers facing charges.
Ontario Provincial Police in Essex County teamed up on Wednesday with Windsor police and enforcement officers from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to conduct a one-day enforcement blitz of commercial vehicles.
The officers conducted 26 Level One inspections. Twenty-one of the vehicles were taken out of service, and a total of 43 charges were laid due to the inspections. Inspectors also removed four licence plates due to safety or maintenance issues.
The blitz also yielded 18 charges related to passenger vehicles.
In a media release, the OPP called the results "concerning", but Inspector Angela Ferguson, Essex County detachment commander, said the checks are necessary to keep all drivers safe on Ontario highways.
"The Essex County OPP is committed to doing our part to ensure commercial motor vehicles are adhering to the regulations," said Ferguson. "Working alongside with our enforcement partners at Windsor Police Service and MTO enforcement officers, together, we can keep our roadways safer for everyone."
According to figures published by The Sudbury Star, the OPP reported over 7,200 collisions involving commercial vehicles in 2021, with 72 deaths resulting from those crashes.