BC currently has one of the lowest fines in the country for distracted driving at $167

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – After months of promising to make changes, we are finally about to find out what tougher penalties distracted drivers in this province may face. The provincial government is set to release details on Monday morning on the steps of the Legislature.

The obvious assumption is higher fines or, as NEWS 1130 Legal Analyst Michael Shapray explains, they could really crackdown by treating distracted drivers like drunk drivers. “And if we see that we might see immediate roadside driving prohibitions, where people lose their cars at the roadside. Something like that would be a dramatic change to the law and we might see something like that tomorrow.”

“There is something about someone who decides that they need to check their text messages or their email while they’re driving. The risk of actually being left at the side of the road waiting for a taxi while their car is being towed away might have an impact on them and their decision-making,” adds Shapray.

There is a condition if province does announce roadside bans. “The immediate roadside prohibition regime does not allow you to have any challenge in court. You have more rights when you get charged with a speeding ticket and you can file for a dispute and get a court date and the police officer has to show up in court.”

The impaired driving legislation in BC requires an administrative hearing which is done either on the phone or in writing. Any changes made to the Motor Vehicle Act have to be passed in the Legislature and would come into effect on a certain date.

BC has one of the lowest fines in the country at $167 and three penalty points while in other provinces like Ontario and PEI, it ranges from $1,000 to $1,200.

ICBC statistics show distracted driving kills, on average, 88 people in this province every year.