Whereas serious crashes and other incidents, such as truck fires, involving commercial transport trucks continue to happen more frequently on BC highways in all weather conditions; And whereas crashes involving commercial transport trucks often result in serious injuries or death, and crashes often lead to lengthy highway closures that cause significant disruptions and detours for other commercial and non-commercial motorists; And whereas some commercial transport truck crashes may be attributed to unsafe driving actions or poor driver training, which puts all drivers at risk: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Ministry of Transportation and Transit MOTT investigate whether commercial transport driver training standards are satisfactory and rigorous, including for Class 1 and 3 licensing, Air Brake endorsements, and Mandatory Entry Level Training requirements, to increase in-class and on-the-road training to meet a higher standard and reach a level of safety that the traveling public should expect from professional drivers; And be it further resolved that MOTT investigate and report publicly on enforcement actions taken against commercial transport trucks by BC Highway Patrol, the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch, RCMP, and other agencies if applicable.
Ministry of Transportation and Transit The Ministry of Transportation and Transit recognizes the importance of enforcement actions related to commercial transport truck safety. The Ministry reviews available information from Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement CVSE, BC Highway Patrol, and the RCMP, and other relevant agencies to prioritize the scope and nature of enforcement activities. This review also helps inform ongoing policy and operational considerations, including public disclosure. Additionally, the Ministry works collaboratively with federal, provincial, and territorial governments and stakeholders to align regulatory practices and enforcement policies, strengthening a consistent and interoperable commercial vehicle safety network across Canada. Ministry of Attorney General Driver training is an important component to safer roads. To continue to ensure effective driver training for commercial vehicles, a planned evaluation of BCs Mandatory Entry Level Training MELT for Class 1 drivers is underway. This work will also include consideration of whether to expand mandatory entry level training to Class 2 and Class 3 drivers. This review will help inform ongoing policy and operational considerations related to commercial vehicle training requirements.