FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October
7, 2005
Hearses roll as
government fails to curb truck-related deaths
TORONTO – The provincial
government is failing to reduce the number of truck-related
deaths on Ontario highways, a Ministry of Transportation
report reveals.
Accidents involving large
trucks killed 155 people in 2003, according to the Ontario
Road Safety Annual Report (ORSAR) published Wednesday.
“We don’t see any downward
trend in the number of people killed by large trucks over the
last 10 years,” said Joe Daniel, president of Local 506 of the
Ontario Public Service Employees Union. “This is no time for
the Ontario government to be cutting back on truck safety
enforcement. Unfortunately, that is exactly what is
happening.”
Ontario has lost approximately
70 Transportation Enforcement Officers (TEOs) to attrition as
the McGuinty government has failed to fill vacant positions,
said Daniel. TEOs are Ontario’s front-line truck inspection
staff.
“The shortage of officers means
roadside inspections are reduced, highway patrols are reduced,
and audits of trucking companies are reduced,” he said.
“Reduced enforcement means more unsafe trucks on the road –
and more hearses.”
Results of recent truck safety
blitzes show there are still thousands of unsafe trucks on
Ontario highways. The announced “Roadcheck” blitz this summer
put 19.5 per cent of trucks out of service for safety
violations; the latest unannounced blitz put 46.5 per cent out
of service.
“We are calling on the Ministry
of Transportation to increase truck enforcement immediately by
filling the TEO vacancies,” said Joe Daniel. “We know
inspections save lives. We know we can save more.”
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For further information:
Joe Daniel: (416) 845-6849
(cell)
Karl Kaseloo: (416) 712-6529 (cell)
John O’Brien: (807) 628-4364 (cell)
