British Columbia is planning to mandate speed limiters on heavy-duty commercial vehicles, in a bid to reduce speed-related crashes and greenhouse gases.
Rob Fleming, B.C. minister of transportation and infrastructure, tabled Bill 23, which proposes related changes to the Motor Vehicles Act, last week.
“This legislation requires drivers to use appropriate care around pedestrians and cyclists, supports enforcement of regulations, and sets a strong foundation for testing and evaluating new technology and policies as we shift to a net-zero future in B.C.,” Fleming said in a press release.
The B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA) applauded the move.
BCTA Support
“The BCTA is pleased to see the province take action today to address safety concerns while providing more pathways to adopting advancing transportation technologies,” Dave Earle, BCTA president and CEO, said in a statement.
“We’ve advocated for speed limiters on heavy-duty commercial vehicles because the data shows they dramatically reduce the number of at-fault speed-related accidents. Additionally, speed limiters help green our sector by curbing fuel consumption and emissions generated by trucks traveling at high speeds. These amendments will benefit the trucking industry and British Columbians as a whole.”
Ontario and Quebec are the only two other provinces that mandate the use of speed limiters in trucks.
Ontario made them mandatory in June 2008, capping speeds at 105 km/h. Violators there can be fined not less than $250 and not more than $20,000. Quebec followed suit in 2009 to prevent vehicles from exceeding 105 km/h. It’s offenders could face a fine of $350 to $1,050.
Maximum speed
A source close to the discussions told TruckNews.com the maximum speed limit in B.C. is expected to be 105 km/h, but that has not yet been confirmed. There is no word on fines or penalties that will be imposed.
TruckNews.com reached out to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
These changes are part of B.C.’s Clean Transportation Action Plan to be released later this year.
Cutting emissions
The amendments represent additional steps the province is taking to meet CleanBC: Roadmap to 2030 emissions reduction targets and decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in transportation by 27% to 32%. The bill also proposes amendments to create a safer environment for vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians, and
supports the shift to increased active transportation.
Credit: trucknews.com by: Leo Barros