Semi driver has truck impounded, licence suspended after refusing breathalyzer near Kamloops, B.C., say RCMP

A semi-truck has been impounded and a truck driver has had his licence suspended for 90 days after refusing a breathalyzer test, say Kamloops RCMP.

Police say they received a report Wednesday of a truck swerving along Highway 5, failing to signal, and almost hitting a meridian.

Traffic officers located the truck at Copperhead Drive and Versatile Drive in the southwest outskirts of the city at around 6 p.m., RCMP said.

Police say they asked the driver to take a breathalyzer test to check his blood alcohol level but he “failed to provide an adequate one.” This, say police, is deemed as a refusal to provide the test.

“Refusal of the breath demand carries the same penalty as blowing a fail, which would indicate a blood alcohol content exceeding .08,” Cpl. Crystal Evelyn with Kamloops RCMP said in a statement.

Dave Earle, president and CEO of the B.C. Trucking Association, said the report of the driver’s behaviour is disappointing.

“We are always deeply concerned when there’s an operator of a commercial vehicle who is either operating impaired or operating unsafely,” Earle said.

He said this type of behaviour is rare, however the association, which represents employers, does not track such incidents.

Members of the public, he said, should be able to expect truck drivers to operate safely on the roads.

“We just want to make sure that everybody who’s driving commercial vehicles in B.C. is able to do so safely,” Earle said.

Earle says under federal and provincial regulations, workers, including truck drivers, are expected to tell their employers when they’re unfit to work.

“WorkSafe[BC] regulation is really specific … it puts a duty on every single worker to declare impairment, to go to your boss and say, ‘I’m not safe to work today,'” he said.

There’s also an obligation for supervisors to assess staff and decide whether they’re OK to work, he added.

But whether a person is fit to work “goes far, far beyond drugs and alcohol,” Earle said. Impairment, causing an inability to focus, can also be caused by fatigue or difficulties in one’s personal life.

In B.C., once truck drivers complete their training and receive a licence, they are not obligated to take any continuing education courses, something the association would like to see changed, says Earle. However, drivers must provide medical certification each time their licence is renewed.