Information relating to the government and traffic laws.
Provincial pilot projects aren't the only way traffic rules evolve in British Columbia. Discover how municipalities can introduce permanent road safety improvements using powers already granted by the Motor Vehicle Act.
Not every traffic rule in British Columbia is permanent. Part 13 of the Motor Vehicle Act allows the provincial government to temporarily change traffic laws through pilot projects so new technologies, vehicles and road rules can be tested before deciding whether they should become permanent.
On August 25, 2025 Shawnigan Lake R.C.M.P. were called to a fatal collision where 12 year old Xavier Rasul-Jankovics had been rollerblading on the road. He was struck and killed by a passing 17 year old driver travelling at high speed. After striking the child the driver then collided with a utility pole, injuring both occupants of the car. This is the start of the story that resulted in the creation of Xavier's Law.
BC's Director of Police Services has created standards aimed at promoting unbiased policing. Sub-section 6.2 of the standards deals with police stops, a term "intended to refer to any interaction between a police officer and a person that is more than a casual conversation and which impedes the person’s movement.”
B.C.'s vehicle inspection manual has been revised and the new edition will become the standard effective on September 2, 2025. The manual is used by inspectors at Designated Inspection Facilities to guide the approval of vehicles presented for inspection. It can also be used by police to guide decisions on enforcement at the roadside.
We don't hear a lot about B.C.'s Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing program except when the government is handing out grants to the municipalities. The money is supposed to be employed to "support community safety and address local policing priorities."
What happened the last time that you decided to deal with a road safety problem? Were you successful in your quest? Were your views taken "for information purposes?" Did you get sucked into the whirlpool of "that's not my job" or worse still, ignored completely?
Saanich has announced the public release of the district's Road Safety Action Plan. The plan is focused on delivering effective actions over a 10-year period that will improve the livability and safety of the community.
In the past a private road in British Columbia could become a public road simply because the province has spent some money to maintain it under section 42 of the Transportation Act. This can result in roads that cross private property to become public rights of way without the property owner's knowledge or consent.
Effective on June 3, 2024 a new division called Electric Wheelchairs and Mobility Scooters has been added to the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations. Division 38A defines the terms "electric wheelchairs" and "mobility scooters," designates them as personal mobility devices and creates an offence for operating them dangerously.