Taming the proverbial ‘heavy foot’

Drivers in British Columbia may have to rethink their driving speeds around the province. While we have had plenty of warning about the tough new penalties for impaired driving coming into effect starting Monday, September 20, 2010, many drivers don’t know that hand-in-hand with the drinking and driving clamp-down is a tough new set of penalties to be handed out to drivers who drive too fast.

Solicitor General, Michael de Jong, QC, advises that speeding is the number-one contributing factor in motor vehicle fatalities. He is serious about making British Columbia’s roads safer and is all for showing no mercy.

“When someone gets behind the wheel of a car and drives while impaired or speeds excessively, it’s no accident, it’s a deliberate choice,” says Mr. de Jong. “We want to protect all motorists by giving police more enforcement tools to stop irresponsible drivers in their tracks.”

Starting Monday, motorists caught driving 40 km/hr over the posted speed limit will have their vehicle impounded for seven days and face escalating penalties for repeat offences. Be prepared to be fined heavily, receive penalty points, have your vehicle possibly impounded and face increased insurance premiums.

Here’s what could happen, not only to speeders but also to street racers, tailgaters and those caught doing reckless driving stunts such as wheelies and doughnuts:

• For a first offence –- a seven-day vehicle impoundment
• Second offence within two years -– 30-day impoundment
• Third and subsequent offences within two years -– 60-day impoundment

This is in addition to the already existing penalties which include:

• A fine of from $368 to $483, depending on the degree of the excessive speed
• Three penalty points on your driver’s license
• An ICBC driver-risk premium of $320 per year for three years, over and above Autoplan insurance premiums.

For more details about the new changes to the Motor Vehicle Act readers can go to: http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/osmv/