New drunk driving, speeding laws coming into effect in B.C.
On September 20, BC residents will need to be aware of several new driving laws that address impaired driving and speeding.
Some of the changes to the impaired driving laws include:
- Drivers who provide a failing breath sample above 0.08 per cent blood-alcohol content (BAC) or refuse to provide a breath sample at the roadside will face an immediate, 90-day driving ban and a $500 fine. As well, they will have their vehicle impounded for 30 days. Criminal charges may also be laid.
- Drivers caught once in the “warn” range (between 0.05 and 0.08 per cent BAC) in a five-year period will face an immediate, three-day driving ban and a $200 fine; a second time, a seven-day ban and a $300 fine; and a third time, a 30-day ban and a $400 fine. Research shows a BAC in that range means a driver is seven times more likely to be in a fatal crash than if they have no alcohol in their body.
- In addition, drivers who blow once in the “fail” range, or three times within five years in the “warn” range, will be required to participate in the rehabilitative Responsible Driver Program. They must also use an ignition interlock device, which tests a driver’s breath for alcohol every time they operate their vehicle, for one year.
In recent years, B.C. has seen a rise in impaired driving offences, which went up 18 per cent from 2008 to 2009, according to information released last week by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. On average, alcohol-related crashes cause 115 deaths and more than 3,000 injuries in B.C. each year.
B.C. speeders need to know that on September 20, new impoundment rules also come into effect for those travelling 40 km or more over the posted speed limit, Solicitor General Mike de Jong said.
“Excessive speed is often a death sentence for everyone involved – the driver, their passengers and other innocent road-users,” said de Jong. “We want to save lives by going after the kind of driver who drives significantly and dangerously over the posted speed limit, and then get them off the road. By doing so, we hope to make our streets and highways safer for everyone.”
About 10,000 tickets are issued by police annually for excessive speeding. As of Sept. 20, a charge of excessive speeding will trigger a mandatory seven-day impoundment for a first offence, a 30-day impoundment for a second, and 60 days for subsequent excessive speeding offences within two years.
Impoundment is in addition to existing penalties, which include:
- A fine of $368 to $483, depending on how excessive the speed.
- Three penalty points on a driver’s licence.
- An ICBC driver-risk premium of $320 per year for three years, over and above Autoplan insurance premiums.
Street racers are also affected by the new rules. While street racing differs from excessive speeding because it involves two or more vehicles trying to outdistance each other, under the new impoundment provisions, both are subject to minimum seven-day impoundments.
Previously, street racing had a minimum impoundment period of 48 hours. Additionally, the Motor Vehicle Act now makes careless acts like excessive tailgating, and reckless driving actions like wheelies and doughnuts – subject to a seven-day impoundment.
Here is some updated information on BC’s new drunk driving and speeding laws
wtf is this? who made up this law about speeding? This is so stupid… who doesn’t drive at 40 km over the limit? God, how about impounding the cars of people who go 40 UNDER? jesus christ!
well to whoever did this.. i’m going to find out who you are and go and pee on you!
I agree WTF! You will need a line up of tow trucks all over the lower mainland. What idiots. We now have excessive gridlock….lets just make it worse.
I would leave if I could.
Let’s see how this all pans out when the flow of traffic in a 80 zone is around 110/120. Is all smells like a cash grab to me. The liberals really know how to make friends with the people they serve.
Well I hope you both enjoy walking in the near future. I lost a few friends to speeders and those who were impaired. I guess this new law was brought in to deal with just the likes of your types with the mind set that they can do as they please on the road. I hope you never have to suffer the loss I have from someone with your mind set.
I thought we lived in a democratic society were one was innocent till proven guilty. With the equipment the police use and perhaps not always in a good mood as police sometimes are, they now are judge and jury to impound a vehicle from someone that needs it for their livelihood for speeding.. Tell me which of you have not speed at least once. Where is this going to end as far as individual rights for law abiding citizens that are HUMAN and sometimes may speed and just be the unlucky one to get caught.
Just as an observation we are talking for excessive speeding – so 40 km over the posted speed limit. That would equate to doing 70 km in a school zone, or 150 km on the highway that already has a posted speed limit of 110. What on earth is so important to be at that you would drive like that? Leave earlier – live longer.
Nicole – totally agree with you. I drive the Coquihalla frequently (at the posted speed or to the road conditions) and cannot say how many time others have flown by me like I was standing still. I can only send up a prayer that those individuals do not kill/injure anyone in their rush to get to where ever they are heading. DRIVERS – leave yourself enough time to get safely and without speeding to wherever you are going.
if you all feel the need for speed try going to Mission raceway to get your kicks,legally.There is nothing like going over 100mph (200 k) in a quarter mile.
Just reading the comments by the negative people, obviously you are dangerous drivers and no, hardly anyone is stupid enough to drive 40km over the speed limit. You deserve to lose your licence period. Maybe when you have killed someone or injured someone with your dangerous driving habits, you’ll realize how stupid it is drive to fast. Being in a rush gets you no where. I have been a major accident due to a person driving way to fast as he was in a rush and it has caused me major injuries as well as a loss of a limb that I have to live with for the rest of my life. Grow up! Speed kills!
What happened to our civil liberties? I’m so tired of this crap. I speed solo and I will do more than 40 above. These politicians are out of control. They need to remember who they work for. We need to bring back democracy. Maybe we should liberate ourselves and create an Autobahn equivalent on the island or on the Coq but I guess there would be no financial gain! Remember freedom? It’s on the way out.
[...] For more information, check out the original article on BC’s new drunk driving laws [...]
I don’t think there’s much to be said about the drinking driving laws. Something has to be done to reduce the amount of injuries and deaths; whether or not this is the best way to enforce it is up for debate, but at least it will get people thinking, “Maybe I shouldn’t even risk it.” However, for the speeding, I personally think that penalties for speeding in dense, urban areas should be stricter than on rural freeways such as the Coquihala, or even 2-lane highways such as the 5A (Princeton-Aspen Grove). The German autobahns (without speed limits) have generally better safety records than most highways in Europe. Accidents related to speeding make up only 4% of the total accidents in the English countryside. Why is this? Because Europeans care more about driving. They are more in tune with how their vehicles operate and are more focused when driving. In Norway, the driver training process is substantially more intense than here, with mandatory lessons on high-speed vehicle control, skid-pad emergency braking, and winter driving. Something needs to be done to increase the level of driver training we have here, and also increase evryone’s attention and awareness on the road.
Sadly, Tristan is correct about the standards of driving. I have lived and driven in England/ New Zealand and BC – English driving is more competent than either NZ or BC. For example, their statistics on road safety are better than Canada or NZ, and their driving is very predictable. Having driven here for 5 years I find the general carelessness and unpredictability of road users scary. Drivers will regularly sit in a passing lane at the same speed as those in the righthand lane, forcing others to pass on the inside and constantly switch lanes – often without warning – highly dangerous driving and the cause of many accidents I have seen in the Okanagan. I have taken the driving tests in all 3 countries, and there is not a great deal of difference between them, so I believe cultural differences are the root cause. This can be seen clearly in NZ, where a very macho culture exists and shows in their reckless and aggressive driving techniques.
[...] MacLeod said there were 145 recorded assaults on drivers in 2009. The union is calling for tougher sentencing for such attacks. For more information, check out the original article on BC’s new drunk driving laws [...]
I have to say that i am not normally a “speeder” and i wouldnt speed around town…leave earlier etc. I get it.
The problem is that everyone can wave a flag and say if you are 40km over the limit then you deserve to have your car impounded….without knowing the circumstance, without using their OWN heads and knowing the facts.
I was on the highway (posted speed limit is 80km) following behind an old rotten caravan going 60km on the straights and slowing to 50 for the corners. This went on for quite some time (not tailgating, very patiently following safely behind)….no passing lanes, no dotted lines and there were at least 15 cars all piled up behind me as we doddled along behind this one slow poke for what seemed an eternity….then:
Passing lane up ahead…no cars in front for as far as the eye can see…no oncoming traffic either (all TRUE)!
I pull out to pass at the passing lane..exhilarating to finally get “moving” again.
I got up to 126km/hr coming up the passing lane before letting off (maybe 5 seconds) lots of passing lane left, look ahead and tucked into a bluff is an RCMP…waiting for this exact moment.
Lights on he pulls me over for speeding 126 in an 80.
Nothing said….tow truck called before he got out of the truck.
$483 TICKET
3 DEMERIT POINTS
$320 LEVY per year for 3 years from ICBC.
$350 tow and impound fees
Left nowhere near home, small town middle of nowhere BC…no rental car agencies…no taxi’s…a complete nightmare.
The officer was nice; his hands were tied…he had to follow the new rules. He stated he knew exactly what happened and WISHED he could issue tickets for people going too slow…which they cannot.
I truly BELIEVE there needs to be common sense exercised. Circumstances change EVERYTHING. Blanket laws with no discretion, no consideration, no thought removes the human ability to REASON. We are not sheep, we are not cattle and not every situation fits into the same box.
Speed Kills…
Drinking and Driving Kills…
Heck…ICE kills (statistically).
I cannot stand to listen to someone flogging statistics at me to support an argument. Stats can be skewed to prove ANY point.
Anyway…still trying to figure out how ALL of us are equal, how all our vehicles are equal, how all situations/circumstances are equal and how we are all going to conform to fit into these ever tightening little boxes being built around us while we sit back and watch.
B.S.
Several good points discussed. I would say that the contentious issue is the arbitrary nature of the new law. Those in favor of immediate impoundment for 40kmh over the limit, why not impound the vehicle at 25kmh over the limit? Why not jail the offending driver? Police are left to be the unfortunate enforcers of poorly thought out changes to the MVA.
Several root causes to this issue. One of the bigger ones, as discussed above, is the current standard of driving competency. Drivers who don’t signal, drivers who drive too slow in general, drivers who drive too slow and stay in the passing lane, drivers who are distracted by food, pets, cell phones, gps and music. BC should be using media (billboards, signage, TV ads, etc.) to educate drivers, and police should be enforcing/warning drivers about sub-standard driving habits.
I would also suggest that the speed limits are outdated. What was the criteria used to determine the speed limits? Why 80kmh and not e.g.90kmh, etc. Speed limits are probably based upon the competency of the “average” driver and the performance characteristics of the “average” vehicle. Are drivers any better now than they were 20 years ago? Some would say yes, others would say the same, most would say not worse. Are cars any safer now than 20 years ago? Nearly all would say yes, and that includes braking ability, steering precision, road holding, tires that stick, etc. My point here is that 2010 cars can be driven faster than 1990 cars because they are less likely to get out of control. Speed limits are designed to accomdate the lowest common denominator, which would be the driver with the lowest competency driving a 20+ year old clunker.
It’s time to a) revise/revist the speed limits and b)raise the standard of driving competency and c)repeal the new drinking and speeding penalties.
Here are some suggestions to have this new law changed. Please pass this along.
The only way to have this law changed to where it is more reasonable is to hurt the government where it has the most effect.
1) Contest every driving infraction, this one act would bring the traffic court system to a grinding halt. The only reason the government offers a $25.00 discount to tickets if paid in 30 days is to prevent the court system from being overwhelmed with cases.
2) Create a foundation that manages a slush fund for fighting these tickets. I for one would pay into such a foundation. These funds would then be administered accordingly based on the offense. Administer: Lawyer
3) Priceless smile on my face as the government has to do an about face on this new law!
More suggestions are gladly welcomed.
Like the HST recall, we cannot stand idly by waiting for changes. We the people have a voice and we need to make it heard in a way that makes the government listen. This is the thin edge of the wedge my friends….do nothing and you will kick yourself in the future.
As a starter “Contest Every Traffic Violation”
What the people of BC really need to consider is simply this: their government is saying BC drivers are the worst in North America, think about it.
This has nothing to do with safety…..this is a financially and morally bankrupt government that is reaching at straws to bring the deficit down.
The only two things that will save BC is the defeat of the Liberals and the demise of ICBC. The demise of ICBC is an absolute must.
No insurance company should administer or be remotely part of the ministry of motor vehicles. The motor vehicle act of BC is now an ICBC act…read it.
The tough new drunk driving laws coming to us from a convicted felon is to say the least a cruel joke. We have the toughest laws in North America now with .08, it is dealt with through the Criminal Code of Canada, which stripped away your right to not give incriminating evidence against yourself. It has no place in Provincial law as they do not have the constitutional right to write criminal law.
Again this is not a safety issue. Nobody wants drunk drivers on the road, but I would suggest if one were to check statistics they would find impaired driving charges are down.
To put this into perspective consider our law about pre paying at the service station. One person in the whole history of BC was was killed while on duty at a service station because of a fill and run. Jerk knee solution pay and pump. Put the same reation into effect every time someone is killed…..think about it.
I believe speeders should be ticketed, and drinking and driving needs to have stricter regulations. I do not, however, believe that impounding the vehicle of a speeding driver and advising him to “rent one down the road” is saving lives on our highways. If someone is a reckless driver and needs to be punished, how does taking away the vechicle fix it? The driver is still able to drive as soon as they can get home to their other vehicle or to their rental car.
As was the case for me this weekend, my car was being driven by another driver and I was not paying attention to the speed that was travelled. My car is now impounded in the middle of a small bc town that did not have hotel, or rental service. It was impounded at 330pm on Sunday but I cannot pick it up until a Monday….which hardly seems fair. The Alberta driver was ticketed, and as is often the case in BC, these fines mean nothing to an out of province driver. I am liable to pick up my car, to find another means of transportation in the meantime and to pay this fine. Who learned the lesson? The driver or me, the passenger? I guess I wont be reading my book as a passenger anymore, I will be reading the speedometer.
I find these new laws completely reprehensible and are set up to serve as just another cash grab of citizens.
As a person who believes in having good laws in place, I can’t help but feel anger at governments that abuse their everyday hard working citizens while never having the guts to deal with actual criminals that walk our streets.
Our government here over the years has taken the enforcement of grow ops away from police and laid the responsibilty on honest home owners. We pay into one of the largest frauds ever produced in human history with the carbon credit exchanges, and now we have drinking and driviing laws that make the everyday guy having a drink at a restaurant a potential victim of these laws. We have speed enforcement that confiscates personal property meaning massive fines (that’s fair, but for most people means loss of income as well and have as mentioned above a corporation (ICBC) complicit in enforcement of law.
I truly watch in amazement as we all keep taking this from governments that steal openly from tax payers and give pardon’s to their friends who are caught stealing millions from tax payers themselves.
The immorality needs to stop and criminalizing honest citizens isn’t going to do anything for faith in government.
Time for people to truly start talking and taking action with massive protests against government. Why are all protests done by those who are a drain on our society? When will the average person wake up and say enough is enough? Personally I’m at wits end and can’t stand this much longer.
So one ticket will cost you a a minimum of $2000! Just got one last night and with towing, storage, ticket, increased insurance it will be close to $2K. No accidents and 2 tickets in ten years. The funny thing is now i am going to have a safe drivers discount right above my drivers risk premium, oh the irony. It would really be nice if they did ticket the people that actually caused accidents, like the ten people that cut me off every day. Easier to eat donuts and hang out then do some real police work.
It’s the law. Put on your grownup panties and deal with it. You are not so special that the laws apply to everyone but you. I just got dinged on the Coquihalla, coming down the hill into Merritt – not deliberately speeding, just not paying enough attention – but was lucky enough to be clocked at 38 km over the limit, so I got off with a $196 ticket. I’ve been driving accident-free for nearly 40 years and trust me, I know how lucky I am. But I’m also the first to say I deserve the ticket and I will pay it humbly and be a helluva lot more careful from now on. It’s the law. Either obey it or shut up and pay the consequences.
[...] http://www.ilstv.com/new-drunk-driving-speeding-laws-coming-into-effect-in-b-c/ [...]
[...] Read the initial news report of the new law: http://www.ilstv.com/new-drunk-driving-speeding-laws-coming-into-effect-in-b-c/ [...]
Gentle reminder…. please fight every traffic violation in BC. Let’s bog down the traffic court system so badly that it comes to a grinding halt, it’s the only way to have this rediculous law changed.
Thanks all
I was coming down from Prince George into Vancouver and got caught doing 120 at a 100 zone. Cop was an idiot, told me I have an “N” so two tickets! Driving contrary to restrictions and over speeding!!! Have you guys ever heard of that?? Two tickets for one offense??? I did have my “N” displayed and i was the only one in the car! my license got suspended for 4 months shortly after, & got 6 points. Who doesn’t do 120 on the 100 mile stretch, jesus christ give me a break, how am I supposed to go to the three jobs i have to pay my mortgage and pay child support????
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