B.C. Highway Patrol said a heavy commercial truck was impounded last week after an officer discovered the driver drunk behind the wheel—with the vehicle’s speed limiter disabled.
The officer pulled the flatdeck truck over after clocking the vehicle going 121 km/h in a 100 km/h zone down Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley on Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
The driver, a 46-year-old North Vancouver resident, then allegedly failed two breathalyzer tests.
The B.C. government has required heavy commercial trucks—those weighing more than 11,794 kilograms—to use devices limiting their speed to 105 km/h since April 2024, with few exceptions.
“Heavy commercial vehicles require careful driving because they take a long time to stop and manoeuvre at speed and cause major damage when things go wrong,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin, in a statement.
“Turning off a speed limiter is poor judgment. It’s not a coincidence that an impaired driver might exercise such poor judgment.”
The driver was given a $368 ticket for not using his speed limiter, a $196 ticket for speeding, and a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition for impaired driving, authorities said. He also faces $750 in administrative penalties and licence reinstatement fees.
The flatdeck truck was towed away and impounded for 30 days, at the expense of the company that owns the vehicle.
