The Safe Driver

Surprise inspections should not be a surprise

Safety is a big issue within our lives. We do what it takes to ensure our kids are safe, our homes are safe and our valuables are safe. Sometimes however, we forget about the routine things that help keep those things safe – our vehicles. We use our vehicles to get to and from work, to go on vacation and to run our weekly errands. We even use our vehicle for work. We take them for granted so often that when something unexpectedly goes wrong, we get annoyed. The interesting thing is that it doesn’t have to be that way.

I was able to recently visit a location where commercial vehicles were pulled over and inspected. Most drivers were unaware of this inspection location and that was probably a good thing. Over a two day blitz recently, some of the results were; 76 inspections with 67 charges were laid for unsafe vehicles and 2 plates were removed from the vehicles. Surprise! I was speaking with one of the staff and to be honest, I was a little surprised with the results. I think some of the drivers may have been surprised too, but they shouldn’t be. Should commercial drivers be more careful with the vehicles they use to earn a living compared to regular passenger vehicles? Not really.

Everyday passenger vehicles need to be just as safe as commercial vehicles. I completely support safe vehicles. Commercial drivers need to do a daily inspection of their vehicle and they should take it seriously. With the added weight and heavy loads they move or carry each day, it makes a lot of sense to ensure their vehicle is in top shape every day. But what about passenger vehicles? Shouldn’t they be in good shape too?

I recently got rid of an older vehicle because it was becoming unsafe. Too many mechanical issues were starting to act up. It was safe for my son to drive, but there were some issues that would needed to be addressed soon. The cost associated to these repairs were too high and based on the mileage and the shape of the vehicle, I decided to get another vehicle instead of making those repairs. Before buying the newer vehicle, I had it inspected by my trusted mechanic. Why buy something that is unsafe or needs more work done to it? My thought was this – drive the vehicle and look after it so if a surprise inspection happened, there would be no issues, except for maybe minor ones that may have just developed. Having the confidence of your vehicle is a huge relief.

Visiting the police officers and staff who were inspecting commercial vehicles was a good experience for me. Knowing this can happen at any time and any place should be a warning to all drivers, not just commercial drivers. Every driver should ensure their vehicle is safe and ready for the road. Your life, the life of your passengers and the life of other road users could be at stake. Putting off repairs only puts off the higher expenses later on…like deductibles after a collision, fines or perhaps even lawsuits. Although these drivers wouldn’t like the fines they received this day, it’s a lot better than injuring themselves or someone else because of an unsafe vehicle.