B.C. passes bill requiring commercial vehicle dashboard cameras

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — British Columbia is set to become the first province to mandate commercial dash cameras. 

According to a May 26th release from the Conservative Party of British Columbia, bill M 217, presented by Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer, has passed third reading, making British Columbia the first jurisdiction in Canada to require dash cameras in commercial vehicles.

Bill M 217, also known as the Dashboard Cameras in Commercial Vehicles Act, is now awaiting royal assent after it passed third reading in the legislative assembly. 

The bill requires outward-facing dash cameras in commercial trucks travelling on B.C. highways, and it will come into effect six months after receiving Royal Assent. 

The call for dashcams followed a series of fatal crashes on Highway 5.

The Conservative Party of British Columbia said the bill was endorsed by the B.C. Trucking Association, noting the commercial driver is not at fault in 75 to 80 per cent of all collisions involving a commercial vehicle. 

The release said cameras facing outward capture evidence immediately, protecting professional drivers and speeding up investigations.

The bill only requires outward-facing cameras, addressing privacy concerns raised about cameras inside the cab.

“This bill started with families along Highway 5 who have buried loved ones after preventable crashes,” Stamer said. “It finishes with B.C. leading the country on commercial vehicle safety.”

“Dash cameras save lives, they hold drivers accountable and they make sure that when a crash happens, the evidence is there, not lost, not disputed and not buried in a year-long investigation.”  

Sandy Threinen, a resident of Fort St. John, offered their thoughts on the bill in a Facebook comment.

“As someone whose loved one drives [a] truck with a company-supplied AI. dash cam, I personally love [it],” they said. 

Threinen said the dash cam notifies drivers of minor infractions, such as rolling a stop sign. 

They also said the camera provides clear proof of when something happened and there are questions about who is at fault.

“The amount of dumb stuff drivers of all vehicles do is staggering, and he’s always got proof,” Threinen said.

They also said that while companies will have to foot the bill for the dashcams, it’s worth it to identify which drivers are a “rolling hazard” and keep them from being blamed if an incident occurs in which they weren’t at fault. 

According to the release, Stamer first called for required dash cameras in 2023 when he was the Mayor of Barriere, B.C.