New road rules in BC can mean a three-year driving ban for street racers

Dec 1 2017, 3:57 am

Those who use roads in BC as their own personal raceways could face even more time away from the wheel when caught, as the provincial government moves to create harsher penalties for those who partake in the activity.

“The drivers posing the greatest risk to people’s lives are often caught repeatedly, and that tells us they aren’t taking the consequences seriously,” said Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.

“We’re going to be scrutinizing driving more closely and making sure the penalty fits.”

Racers who won’t take their cars to the track, he added, “can expect to walk or use public transit.”

Beginning Friday, December 1, longer prohibitions will replace the existing 15-day penalties for street racing and stunt driving.

The prohibitions can also apply to a broader range of offences, including excessive speeding, driving without due care, and attention and other high-risk driving behaviours.

The length of each individual prohibition will be determined by RoadSafetyBC, based on the incident details provided by the police, as well as the driver’s record, with most prohibitions generally between three and 36 months in length.

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,” said Neil Dubord, chief constable, chair of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee.

Police will still be able to immediately impound vehicles for a minimum of seven days if drivers are caught street racing or stunt driving.

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