B.C. Distracted Driving Fines on the Rise June 1, 2016

The government of British Columbia has announced severe penalties for distracted driving in the province. The fine for distracted driving will be increased from $167 to $368. Distracted drivers caught engaged in distracted behaviour while operating a vehicle will also face four demerit points which will result in a payment of $175 to ICBC, under their Driver Penalty Point (DPP) premium, leading to a first-time offence fine of $543 in total.

The fine and demerit fines will increase to $888 for a second offence and a substantial penalty of $3,000 for a third offence. Drivers may not get to the third offence stage as the government has also determined that using an electronic device will become a high-risk offence. This classification means that any driver who will have two or more tickets in a 12 month period will automatically have their driving record reviewed and possibly have their licence suspended

The new fine structure will take effect June 1, 2016. Currently, British Columbia has one of the lowest distracted driving fines in Canada. The current fine for being distracted while driving is $167 and three demerit points. In comparison, fines range up to $1000 and three demerit points in other provinces in Canada.