A screeching halt: Regina police, RCMP conduct skid testing with semi-trailer trucks

Just how long does it take a 63-tonne semi-trailer truck travelling at highway speedto stop?

This week, RCMP collision analysts and members of the Regina police traffic unit are conductingskid testing with semi-trailer trucks.

The point of the testing program, taking place at the Global Transportation Hub located just outside the city, is to allow officers to develop their skills at determining the speed ofcommercial vehicles.

RCMP Cpl. Jeff Burnett said they have beentesting how long it takes for a semi truck to come to a full stop in various configurations, while travelling at different speeds and carrying various weights.

"If we go to a collision that involves a commercial vehicle and we have skid marks on the road or we can determine a skid distance, this is going to help us determine how fast that vehicle was going at the time of the collision, " he told reporters on Thursday.

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One of the semi-trailer trucks being tested Thursday weighed63,500 kilograms, or the equivalent of 32 police cars, said Burnett.

He explained that as technologies change and the trucks areupgraded with new braking systems, it's important that officers can correctly calculatespeed when collisions do happen.

Most of the accidents involving semi-trailertrucks happen when a much smallervehicle runs into them.

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"We've actually been quite surprised at how quickly they do stop, but they still need a lot of room, so don't get in their way," Burnett said.

"I think a lot of people don't realize that they need a lot more space, there's a lot more weight, there's a lot more tires, and they don't react as quickly as a small vehicles."