‘It’s the driver’s responsibility’, driving instructor says of Metro Vancouver truck overpass crashes

The search continues for the driver responsible for the overpass crash on the North Shore that snarled traffic for hours Wednesday night — just the latest of more than two dozen bridge strikes on B.C. highways over the past two years.

Since December 2021, the province has handed out at least 19 violation tickets and two companies have faced suspensions of operations.

One Metro Vancouver truck driving instructor is weighing in on how to help prevent this kind of collision, explaining that it’s included in their training.

“It’s always part of the training, it’s always been at the very beginning when they get their learner’s licence,” said Harminder Singh, instructor at Apna Professional Driving School.

Related Articles:

• Overpass crash not a result of insufficient guidelines, says BC Trucking Association president 

• B.C. truck company ‘suspended pending investigation’ after North Van overpass crash

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Singh asserts that avoiding overpass strikes comes down to driver awareness and responsibility.

“We are always blaming the government,” he told CityNews sister station OMNI News.

“It’s your responsibility to check the load and the overhead clearance of the truck … it’s the driver’s responsibility.”

However, he does have one suggestion for the provincial government that he feels would improve safety, explaining that it would be good to have some sort of warning system about bridge or overpass heights a kilometre before the structures, indicating if a truck’s load is over height.

The investigation into Wednesday’s collision with the Main Street overpass on Highway One in North Vancouver is ongoing.

The driver still hasn’t been found after he ran from the crash and the company’s trucks remain parked.

The B.C. government says Whistler 99 Courier and Freightways Corporation has been “suspended pending investigation.”