BC to Hike Commercial Vehicle Crash Penalties After 35 Over-Height Truck Incidents

BC to Increase Commercial Vehicle Crash Penalties Following 35 Over-Height Truck Accidents

March 12, 2024 TruthUSA

Penalties for commercial truck crashes into overpasses or other infrastructure in British Columbia are set to soar, with fines of up to $100,000 and jail sentences of up to 18 months.

The New Democrat government is proposing changes to the Commercial Transport Act to increase fines for over-height vehicles from $500 to $598, amounts that have remained unchanged for decades.

Transportation Minister Rob Fleming is responding to 35 crashes involving over-height commercial vehicles since late 2021 with these proposed changes.

The province recently revoked the operating license of B.C. trucking firm Chohan Freight Forwarders after one of its commercial vehicles got stuck in an overpass over Highway 99 in Delta in December.

Mr. Fleming notes that laws governing highway infrastructure crashes in B.C. have not been updated since the 1970s and that the proposed maximum penalties for commercial transport violations will exceed those of other provinces and territories.

B.C. Trucking Association president Dave Earle stated that the association supports the suggested penalty increases.