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Overview
The Highway Safety Enforcement Section of Inspections and Enforcement New Brunswick (IENB) is responsible for helping ensure the safety of New Brunswickers on our roads, highways and trails.
Enforcement officers
Highway Safety Enforcement Officers are peace officers with Special Constable designation under section 14.1(1) of the Police Act of New Brunswick.
The Highway Safety Enforcement Section has more than 65 members with roles that range from administrative support personnel to frontline peace officers and licensed mechanics. Team members work together in their various roles to enhance the safety of New Brunswickers on our provincial highways and off-road vehicle trails.
If you want to learn more about working as a Highway Safety Enforcement Officer, contact 1-877-449-2244 or [email protected].
Commercial vehicles
Highway Safety Enforcement Officers are responsible for enforcing all regulations related to commercial vehicle operations in New Brunswick. Some of the common regulations enforced include those related to weight, load security, driving violations, transportation of dangerous goods, hours of service and the Gasoline and Motive Fuel Tax Act.
In terms of commercial vehicles, the key responsibility of Highway Safety Enforcement Officers is public safety on provincial highways and protecting critical infrastructure including bridges and roads, which can be damaged by overweight commercial vehicles.
Officers inspect commercial vehicles at weigh stations strategically located throughout the province and conduct mobile inspection patrols. When performing inspections on commercial vehicles, officers ensure that the vehicles are within the required weight limits and that all required documents are current and valid. In addition, they may conduct a more detailed inspection and determine a vehicle is unsafe or dangerous. If this is the case, the vehicle is put out of service until it meets compliance and is safe for operation.
Throughout the year, safety blitz campaigns are conducted at various locations across the province.
Off-road vehicles
The Highway Safety Enforcement Unit promotes public safety on provincial off-road trails. An off-road vehicle includes any motor vehicle designed or adapted for off-road use. Some off-road vehicles are categorized as all-terrain vehicles (ATV) or snowmobiles, and certain regulations apply to each type.
The definition of an ATV has grown to include amphibious vehicles, utility vehicles and side-by-sides. Dune buggies and dirt bikes are considered off-road vehicles. All off-road vehicles must be registered and have licence plates attached properly while in operation, according to the Off-Road Vehicle Act.
Trails are maintained by Quad NB and Snowmobile-Motoneige NB.
For more information on off-road vehicles, visit Off-road vehicles, snowmobiles and boating.
Motor vehicle inspectors
Motor Vehicle Inspectors are peace officers and journeyman mechanics. They are certified as both truck and transport service technicians as well as automotive service technicians. They are responsible for ensuring motor vehicle safety and compliance with the Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection Manual (PMVI) and the proper safety inspection of motorized vehicles. They also enforce various provisions under the Motor Vehicle Act and liaise with the automotive industry regarding vehicle specification and standards.
Inspectors are in regular contact with inspection station licences and conduct on-site visits to ensure all guidelines are being followed and all requirements related to space, equipment and staff are met. Inspectors also review and investigate complaints brought forward by inspection stations and by members of the public.
National Safety Code
The National Safety Code (NSC) of Canada provides the minimum performance standards for the safe operation of passenger and commercial vehicles, such as buses, trucks, tractors and trailers. The Code includes guidance for legislative, regulatory and administrative action by each jurisdiction and focuses on three components: the driver, the vehicle and the carrier.
All provinces and territories use the Code as the cornerstone of their commercial vehicle regulatory framework, with standards either adopted by reference into jurisdictional regulation or mirrored in provincial and territorial laws.
The Code applies to:
- Buses—manufacturer’s seating capacity more than 10 persons including the driver and/or registered with a Gross Registered Mass of 4500 kg and over
- Trucks, Power Units or vehicle combinations registered with a Gross Registered Mass of 4500 kg and over
Services are provided through safety ratings performed by facility auditors. They check records of drivers and carrier profiles for accuracy. They also review reports including trip inspections, record of Duty Status (i.e., Electronic Logging Device or carrier timesheets) and vehicle maintenance records to ensure federal and provincial rules and regulations are followed. This helps reduce collisions and increase safety on our highways.
Carriers
A carrier is a person or company with one or more commercial vehicles registered.
An intra-provincial carrier is as a person or company with one or more commercial vehicles registered and that operates entirely within the province of New Brunswick.
An extra-provincial carrier is a person or company with one or more commercial vehicles registered that cross the provincial borders during the normal operation of their business.
A carrier must maintain records of each driver who operates vehicles on their behalf, also known as a driver profile. The driver profile should include the following:
- a current driver’s abstract from Service New Brunswick
- licensing qualifications of the person who operates commercial vehicles on its behalf
- the hours of service worked by each driver and supporting documents
- convictions for traffic offences or criminal driving offences incurred by such drivers
- traffic accident records
- training records
The retention period for each document is outlined in the following table.
| Driver’s Profile Document | Retention Period |
| Copy of each driver’s licence (full and part-time) | Permanently and upon renewal |
| Driver’s abstract | Annually |
| Logbooks/Electronic Logging Device or Records of Duty Status (timesheets) | Six months |
| Supporting documents such as fuel receipts, trip sheets, bills of lading, tolls receipts or statements, accommodation or any other receipts issued for a particular trip | As required |
| Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Certificate | Permanently and upon renewal |
| Employment application | Permanently |
| Disciplinary incidents | Permanently |
Carriers must also keep a vehicle profile that includes such documents as vehicle registration, maintenance records, insurance documents, provincial motor vehicle inspection certificate and Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspection reports, and trip inspection reports.
The retention period for each document is outlined in the following table.
| Vehicle Profile | Retention Period |
| Copy of vehicle registration | Upon renewal |
| Copy of annual provincial motor vehicle inspection | Upon renewal |
| Vehicle maintenance record (regular and scheduled) | Two years |
| CVSA inspections reports and all reports issued by a peace officer | Two years |
| Trip inspections reports | Six months (two years if defects where noted) |
| Insurance company name and personal liability and property damage | Active status |
Trip inspection reports must be completed before any commercial vehicle is used on the road over a 24-hour period. A driver must supply to the carrier copies of any convictions, accidents and on-road or terminal inspections involving a carrier’s vehicle at least once every 14 days.
In the event of an accident involving a carrier’s commercial vehicle, the carrier must maintain a written record of the accident, which should include the name of the driver, information identifying the commercial vehicle involved, the date and circumstances of the accident and the nature and amount of damage.
Facility audit
An NSC facility audit monitors carriers for compliance with all applicable highway safety regulations. An auditor closely examines certain records that are required to be maintained by bus and truck carriers, interviews personnel who are responsible for safety management, conducts highway inspections on commercial vehicles and records the audit findings.
An audit can be triggered by a poor safety rating, an accident, an out-of-service inspection or a conviction.
To order a Carrier Abstract, contact the Motor Vehicle Branch by email at [email protected] or by calling 506-453-2410.
Get help
If you have questions or need help, you can contact us Monday to Friday between 8:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays.
Highway Safety Enforcement
Phone: 1-877-449-2244
Email: [email protected]