Canadian Legislative Updates

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 British Columbia Targets Vehicle Brake Safety

British Columbia’s Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) branch embarked on a week-long inspection blitz to ensure that commercial vehicles are operating with safe braking systems. 

Announced on September 14, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond highlighted that drivers must ensure their brakes are regularly inspected and properly adjusted.  When unsafe vehicles are pulled off the road, faulty brakes are found as the most common defect.

The week’s inspections took place during the Commercial Vehicles Safety Alliance (CVSA) International Brake Safety Week, a North America-wide strategy to focus commercial vehicle inspections on braking systems.

British Columbia recently introduced amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act in order to provide greater supervision of the vehicle inspection process.  Enforcement will occur on major highways and companion roads in northern British Columbia.  Almost 200 CVSE field staff throughout the province execute more than 20,000 roadside vehicle inspections per year.

British Columbia Introduces New Speeding and Impaired Driving Rules

The Government of British Columbia has introduced new rules, targeting speeders and impaired drivers.  Effective September 20, Canada’s toughest impaired driving law and new penalties for excessive speeders will help to save lives by removing drunk drivers and speeders from the roads.

Announced by Solicitor General Michael de Jong, police will now have more enforcement tools to stop irresponsible drivers.  Amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act indicate that drivers impaired by alcohol will face strict penalties, which could include impoundment of their vehicle, their licence, and anywhere from $600 to about $4,060 in administrative penalties.

With regards to the new speeding rules, motorists who are caught speeding excessively – driving 40 km/h over the posted speed limit – will have their vehicle taken away for seven days and face escalating penalties for repeat offences.  In addition to vehicle impoundment, drivers will also face existing penalties for excessive speeding including fines, penalty points, and increased premiums.

Impaired driving continues to be on the rise in the British Columbia.  Current data indicates that impaired driving has killed 133 people and has caused more than 3,000 injuries on average every year.  The province’s goal is to reduce alcohol-impaired driving fatalities by 35 percent by the end of 2013.  Excessive speeders are also being targeted due to the fact that speeding is the number one contributing factor to motor vehicle fatalities.