NEWS - Increased Penalties for Dangerous Driving Behaviour

New BC LogoIncreased penalties will come into effect today for drivers who put people at risk through excessive speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving and other violations.

Penalty amounts are going up by 20% effective Nov. 1, 2018, for the following two programs:

  • The Driver Risk Premium (DRP) is charged annually to drivers who are convicted of dangerous driving offences such as excessive speeding, two or more distracted driving violations, impaired driving convictions, roadside suspensions or prohibitions. Drivers could pay for the same offence multiple times, as the DRP depends on a person’s driving record in the last three years.
  • The Driver Penalty Point (DPP) premium is a penalty for collecting four or more points from traffic violations. The premium amount depends on the total number of points accumulated in a 12-month period.

The DRP and DPP are insurance penalties drivers must pay to ICBC in addition to the fine they must pay for the original violation. A driver will only be charged under one of the programs each year, whichever penalty is the highest.

Links:

This from the A-G's Press Release:

The Driver Penalty Point premium currently ranges from $175 for four points to $24,000 for 50 or more points. With the 20% increase starting Nov. 1, 2018, these penalties will go up to $210 for four points and $28,800 for 50 or more points.

50 points? Seriously?

I thought the whole concept behind a DPP sysem was that after a certain number of points - around 10 or 12 - the Driver License would be suspended for a finite period; the driving privilege would be taken away. A system designed to get the multiple offenders off the roads to protect the rest of us, along with ICBC. A system designed to apply equally to all drivers, regardless of their wealth.

But a system that calculates anything beyond 20 points appears to be a system that's designed to maximize revenues, instead of getting bad drivers off the roads.

OK, glad to get that out of my system.