Merritt drivers are either compliant or very lucky.
Cst. Kathy Prentice, of the RCMP’s Kamloops traffic division, was in Merritt on Thursday, conducting spot checks on motorists downtown.
Prentice was looking to ensure drivers were wearing their seat belts, not talking on cell phones, and had their pets properly secured while in transit.
Of the latter infraction Prentice said she handed out two tickets to drivers who did not have their dogs properly secured while travelling in the backs of trucks.
“Dogs must be secured by a leash so that they will not be thrown from the truck beds as a result of an accident,” said Prentice.
Prentice said she was also looking to ensure there were no pets travelling on their owner’s lap as this practice can distract the drivers and cause an accident.
Prentice was positioned on the corner of Quilchena Ave and Voght St. where she was able to look into passing cars and check for any infractions.
In a period of 90 minutes, Prentice said that she handed out only six tickets for failure to wear a seatbelt and the afore mentioned tickets for the unsecured animals.
“Merritt is pretty good with compliance,” said Prentice.
