Heavy commercial traffic has been responsible for a lot of fatalities on B.C. highways.

In a detailed review, BC’s Auditor General says about 20 per cent of fatal motor vehicle deaths over the past 10 years have involved a heavy commercial vehicle.

And so, Carol Bellringer is recommending the government establish a clear responsibility for the promotion of commercial vehicle road safety education and awareness, and that it reviews the standards for commercial driver licenses.

“We found that safety education and awareness programs for all road users are limited in our province,” she noted. “Heavy commercial vehicles represent only about three per cent of the vehicles registered in BC, yet they are involved in 19 per cent of the fatal collisions.”

“In the majority of those fatal collisions, the commercial driver is not at fault.”

Bellringer is making a number of other recommendations to improve truck safety on B-C highways.

She notes drivers in B-C are not required to take specialized training to get a commercial license and there’s no effective system in place to ensure compliance after someone fails a roadside inspection.