Tougher Penalties For Bad Drivers

Dangerous drivers will face longer prohibitions as part of new penalties announced by the BC government.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the drivers posing the greatest risk to other people are often caught repeatedly, meaning they  aren’t taking the consequences seriously

“We’re going to be scrutinizing their driving more closely and making sure the penalty fits. Racers who won’t take their cars to the track can expect to walk or use public transit.”

Starting this Friday, prohibitions ranging from three to 36 months will replace existing 15-day penalties for street racing and stunt drivers, and could also apply to excessive speeders and other high risk drivers.

Pictured: Mike Farnworth, Public Safety Minister

RoadSafetyBC will set the length of each prohibition based on the incident details provided by the police, as well as the driver’s record. Drivers will be able to request a review of their case through an adjudication process that RoadSafetyBC already uses when drivers appeal prohibitions under the Driver Improvement Program.

“When RoadSafetyBC intervenes, high-risk drivers typically face longer suspensions and additional remedial measures,” says Neil Dubord, chief constable, chair of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee. “We were consulted on the new approach and believe it will make B.C.’s roads safer.”

Police will still be able to immediately impound vehicles for a minimum seven days for dangerous drivers.