B.C. to become 1st in Canada to require commercial trucks have dashcams

It will soon be mandatory for commercial trucks in B.C. to have dash cameras.

B.C. Conservative MLA Ward Stamer introduced a bill after a string of deadly collisions on Highway 5, which goes through his riding of Kamloops-North Thompson.

British Columbia is the first Canadian jurisdiction to require commercial dash cameras.

Stamer says cameras will help keep drivers accountable and ensure there will be enough evidence in the event of a crash.

The bill requires outward-facing dash cameras on commercial trucks travelling B.C. highways and will come into force six months after receiving royal assent.

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

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

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“Dash cameras save lives.”

Dave Earle with the B.C. Trucking Association says the organization welcomes the bill and about 75 per cent of its members already use dashcams.

“What we would like to see is this be a national requirement, so we don’t create friction between jurisdictions where we have to run something in one and not in another,” he said.

“It has been raised at the Council of First Ministers of Transportation table, and we’ll see how that goes, but certainly, the bulk of our members are already running them.”

The bill covers only outward-facing cameras, not cameras inside the cab, addressing privacy concerns raised in committee.